Child of the Musician
by Allen the Musician
Summary: His child. The little boy would be integral in the war against the Millennium Earl and must be kept safe at all costs. Knowing that he is almost out of time the 14th seeks out someone to ensure that he can fulfill his destiny. AU/alternate version of DGM
1. Reunion and Introduction

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter One - Reunion and Introduction

It was mid afternoon and twenty seven year old Mana Walker was seated in the sitting room of his home, peacefully reading a book, when he heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. Glancing away from the pages of his book the young man arched one eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the intrusion. Placing his book on the arm of his chair Mana slowly got to his feet and made his way toward the front door. He was confused to say the least. He wasn't exactly what one would call a very popular person and couldn't imagine who would want to pay him a visit.

Reaching out the man slowly opened the door and he actually gasped as he came face to face with a man that he hadn't seen in nearly four years. Appearing to be a couple of years younger than Mana himself the man was dressed in a tuxedo, complete with top hat, and was holding a small, brown haired child in his arms. The little boy appeared to be asleep with his head resting on the man's shoulder.

"Nicholas!"

"Hello Mana," the man said in a quiet voice, focusing intense gray eyes on Mana. There were so many things that he wanted to tell the man who stood before him but none of them were things that he could say while standing on the doorstep. It required privacy and, although he would never indulge, a stiff drink. "May I..."

Realizing that he was being rude Mana quickly stepped aside and motioned for his visitor to enter the house. Nicholas complied and Mana closed the door behind him. Then he turned and, after a moment's hesitation, pulled the man into an embrace, at the same time being careful not to disturb the child that was sleeping in his arms. "It's been almost four years... I thought that you were..."

"I'm sorry big brother," Nicholas said as he gazed at Mana, an apologetic expression in his gray eyes. "Believe me, I didn't want to stay away for so long and let you think that something had happened to me. But it was safer for you if you weren't anywhere near me."

Mana gazed into his younger brother's eyes, searching for the bits of truth that Nicholas was hiding from him, but he couldn't discern anything. He knew that his brother was leaving things out but he decided that he was so happy to see the boy that he didn't really care. The truth would come out, of that he was sure. It would just take some time, which he had plenty of. He offered Nicholas a broad smile.

"Come into the sitting room," Mana said, gesturing toward the door that was located down the hall from their current location. "You can tell me everything."

"Right," Nicholas said, having known that his brother would say this. And considering the reason why he had appeared at his brother's door the young man realized that he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. He was going to ask a great deal of Mana; it was only fair that his brother should know the reason why.

The two men retired to the sitting room, where Mana sat down in a chair while his brother chose to sit upon the sofa that was directly across from it. Nicholas carefully positioned the sleeping child so that he would be more comfortable and then he raised his gaze to meet that of his brother. Mana's brown eyes were locked onto him and Nicholas offered him a small smile. "I know you have questions Mana. Ask whatever you want and I promise that I'll answer it if I can."

"Tell me about the child," Mana said, his voice quiet as he gazed at the little boy that his brother held gently on his lap. He was fairly certain that he already knew the answer; the resemblance between Nicholas and the child was definitely there but he wanted his brother to confirm his suspicions before he lent voice to them.

"Allen," Nicholas said as he gazed down at the child, a strange light shining in his eyes. "...is my son. I wanted to tell you about him; I actually started to come and visit several times but... It was just as dangerous for me to be around him as it was for me to be around you so I've only seen him a handful of times myself."

"Son?" Mana repeated, slightly shocked despite having guessed as much.

Nicholas nodded. "His mother Lyssa was... I met her shortly after I left and it was love at first sight. We married but unfortunately I had to keep it a secret. My... associates didn't enjoy sharing me with anyone. Which is, unfortunately, the reason for my visit today."

Mana heard the note of sadness that was veiled inside the younger man's voice. "What happened Nicholas?"

"Lyssa is gone. They made it look like an accident," Nicholas said, his gray eyes hardening as he recalled what had happened to the woman to whom he had given his heart. To the mother of his child. "But I know it was them. And I'm going to get my revenge." Having said this, Nicholas turned pleading eyes toward his brother. He knew that the request he was going to make of his brother was extreme and a little selfish but he had to do it. For Allen. "It was only by a miracle that Allen survived the so called accident but now that they know about him..."

Nicholas paused at this point and Mana had an idea what his brother was going to ask of him. And for some strange reason he found that he was actually okay with the idea. "I know what you want Nicholas and... and it's okay. I'll take care of my nephew as though he were my own child."

Relief washed over Nicholas as he heard these words spoken by his brother. He had been so afraid when he had came here and now to hear Mana offer to take care of the child, it was a huge relief. He knew that Allen would be in good hands with Mana. "Thank you so much brother."

Mana could actually see a look of relief appear on his younger brother's face and he was somewhat concerned for Nicholas. What had his brother gotten himself into? "You're welcome."

Nicholas smiled at his brother and then turned his attention back to the little boy who is sleeping peacefully in his lap. He placed a hand gently on the child's shoulder and gave Allen a little shake. "Allen... hey Allen. Wake up little one, there's someone that I want you to meet."

The child mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and then stirred, opening his eyes and turning to gaze at his new surroundings. The little boy surveyed the room for a few seconds but froze the minute he noticed that someone strange was in the room. His eyes widened as he spotted Mana sitting across from him and his father and Mana noticed that their eyes were the exact same; the gray of the sky just before a thunderstorm.

"Hello," Mana said in a soft voice.

"Allen," Nicholas said, speaking softly to the child. "This is your Uncle Mana. Can you say hello?"

Allen gazed at the man for a few moments more and then spoke, in a voice that was so soft that Mana had to strain to hear. "Hello."

Nicholas placed the little boy down on his own two feet, which allowed Mana to get his first good look at the boy. He was small for his age, which Mana was estimating to be around three, and had shaggy brown hair and expressive gray eyes. Intelligent eyes. The little boy was dressed in black trousers, a white button up shirt and a black vest. He was even wearing a little pair of white gloves which made him look like quite the little gentleman.

"Go over and meet your uncle," Nicholas encouraged his son, giving the little boy a little push from behind.

Allen looked absolutely frantic for a few seconds and, as though out of instinct, Mana eased himself out of the chair and knelt in front to the little boy. "I'm very pleased to meet you Allen," he said in a quiet voice, gazing into the child's charcoal gray eyes as he spoke. He held out his hand and, after a moment, the little boy accepted it and they shook hands.

Nicholas couldn't keep the smile from spreading across his face as he watched his brother and his son interacting. He was happy that the two of them were getting along so well since it would be vital to the role that Mana was going to have to play. Another plus was the fact that the family resemblance between them was enough to ensure that no one would ever question that Allen was Mana's and that made Nicholas happy.

And yet at the same time he couldn't help but feel a little sad. After all, he was losing the opportunity to watch his son grow up. It was a small price to pay for the child's safety but the ache in his heart refused to listen to reason. It shouted for him to fight to keep possession of the child that, in reality, he barely even knew. But Nicholas knew that it would be selfish to keep Allen with him and would only endanger the child further. And this was something that he refused to do.

He'd done enough to the little boy as it was.

"Mana," Nicholas said in a quiet voice, getting to his feet and gazing down at his brother. "I should return to the inn where we were staying and get Allen's things. Do you mind if I leave him here with you while I run this little errand?"

"Not at all," Mana said, not failing to notice the sad expression in his brother's eyes. "It'll give us a chance to get to know one another."

Nicholas nodded and knelt down and placed his hands on Allen's little shoulders. "I'll return in a little while with your things Allen. In the meantime you're going to stay here with your Uncle Mana. Be a good boy alright?"

"Okay," Allen chirped, offering his father a smile.

"Good lad," Nicholas said, releasing his hold on the boy and getting to his feet. "This shouldn't take very long Mana and... and I just want to thank you again for agreeing to this."

Getting to his feet Mana pulled his younger brother into a hug. "I promise you that I will love him as though he were my son."

"I trust you," Nicholas said, turning and walking away. The Musician slowly made his way to the front door and left the house where his brother was playing with his son. He knew that he had to make it across town and collect Allen's things, then make it back to Mana's house, without being seen by any of the people who could cause problems for his family. Nicholas had gotten himself into this mess and that was something that he was going to have to deal with, but he refused to allow his family to suffer because of it.

At least any more than they already had.

"I'm sorry Allen," he whispered into the wind as he made his way down the sidewalk. "But I get the feeling that you are going to play a vital role in this war. I just hope that when the time comes, you are prepared."

A/N - It's AU! Oh no, I started another one. And in this one the Musician is actually Allen's father. Kind of an interesting concept and a request from a friend of mine who shall remain nameless. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	2. Goodbye

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Two - Goodbye

When Nicholas arrived at the inn where he and Allen had spent the night the young man quickly gathered up the clothes that he had hastily packed for his son. He'd been forced to leave most of the child's things behind, since he had been fleeing from a group of very dangerous enemies, but he had managed to gather up a decent supply of clothing for the boy. It should be more than enough for the child at the moment. He would leave money in the suitcase that held Allen's things, so that Mana could use it to buy whatever else he might require for the little boy.

Then, once the Noah had gathered up his son's few belongings, he turned and walked away from the inn. Nicholas knew that he had to go back to the house where he had left Allen in the care of his brother but he honestly didn't want to. The young man couldn't help but think that it would be easier to leave his son this way but neither Allen nor Mana deserved that.

He had to say goodbye to Allen.

With a heavy sigh Nicholas made his way back to his brother's house, his heart heavy. The loss of Lyssa was still raw and painful and now he was leaving his child behind as well. His hands clenched into fists as he thought about the Millennium Earl and his so called family, the Clan of Noah. They had promised him happiness and a chance to create a better world if he joined their ranks but that had all been a lie in order to get him to do what they wanted. They were the ones who had targeted his family and for that they would pay. He would personally make sure of that.

Even if it was the last thing that he ever did and Nicholas was fairly sure that it would be.

When Nicholas arrived at Mana's house he didn't even bother to knock on the door. There was really no point since his brother would be expecting him. Reaching out he opened the door and stepped inside, calling out as he did so, "Mana, it's me."

The sound of little footsteps could be heard echoing down the hallway and then Allen launched himself at his father. Wrapping his arms around Nicholas' legs the little boy smiled up at the man, his eyes shining. "Hello Allen. Jeez, you'd think that I had been gone for days. It couldn't have been more than a couple of hours."

To some extent the Musician was happy to receive such a greeting from his son but in his heart he knew that if the child was this attached to him it would be all the harder on Allen when he left and didn't return. And for this Nicholas felt a stab of guilt but of course there was nothing to be done for it so the Musician forced it aside. There was nothing to be gained by dwelling on things that couldn't be changed.

Leaning down Nicholas scooped the little boy up into his arms and carried him back down the hallway and into the sitting room. Mana was still seated in the floor and, judging by the scattered playing cards that littered the floor, it was obvious that Allen had abandoned him in the middle of some kind of game.

"So," Nicholas said as he placed his son back on the ground beside the spot where Mana was sitting. Both Mana and Allen were smiling and Nicholas was relieved by this. He had been so scared that Allen wouldn't take to Mana but it seemed as though his fears had been unnecessary. "Did you and Uncle Mana have fun while I was gone Allen?"

Allen nodded, his gray eyes bright and a smile lighting up his face. "He lotsa fun."

"That's good," Nicholas said, placing the small suitcase that he had been carrying down on the floor beside the sofa. Then he sat down on the floor across from his brother and turned his gray eyed gaze toward his son. "Can I join the game?"

Allen seemed happy by the request. "Sure!"

"I warn you now," Mana said, his smile growing even wider as he watched his brother and nephew interact. "He's ruthless."

"It's in the genes," Nicholas said, enjoying this brief moment of normalcy. He knew that it would end all too soon but he intended to enjoy it for as long as he could.

And so the trio spent the next couple of hours playing a card game in the sitting room floor. Then, after Allen fell asleep for the third time, Nicholas reluctantly decided that it was time for them to call it a night. He didn't want it to end but it was obvious that Allen was exhausted and he had already stayed far longer than he had intended to. He'd been too caught up in the moment to realize how late it had gotten but now he was fully aware of the time.

Getting to his feet he held out his hand to the little boy, who was barely managing to keep his eyes open. "Come on Allen. I think it's time for bed."

"But I'm not..." the boy's protest was interrupted by a huge yawn. "sleepy."

"Of course you're not," Nicholas said as he once again scooped the little figure up into his arms, picking up the little suitcase as he did so. He had anticipated the protest from the child but thankfully he knew a sure way to gain Allen's cooperation. "But look at poor Uncle Mana. He looks sleepy and you wouldn't want to keep him up now would you?"

Allen studied his uncle for a few moments before shaking his head. "No."

"That's good," Nicholas said, offering the little boy a smile. It never failed; tell the child that someone else was suffering because of his actions and you could get him to do anything that you wanted. Even if it was something that Allen really didn't want to do.

He was the caring type.

"Come with me and I'll show you to the guest room," Mana said, getting to his feet and leading the way up the stairs to the second floor. The young man led the way to the last door on the right and, opening the door, he motioned for them to enter.

Nicholas nodded his thanks to his brother and then stepped inside the room. Mana followed behind him, lighting one of the gas lamps so that the room was bathed in a subdued light. Then, sensing that his brother may want a few minutes alone with his son, he discreetly left the room.

Nicholas placed Allen on the bed and then rummaged around in the child's suitcase until he found a small pair of pajamas. He quickly changed the child's clothes and then settled him into the large bed, tucking the covers in around him.

Then the young man sat down on the edge of the bed and just gazed down at the drowsy little boy. In his heart he knew that this would be the last time that he ever saw his child and he wanted to burn the little boy's image into his brain. In the days that were to come he knew that he would need the comfort of the child's memory. Noticing that his father was staring Allen offered him a small smile and reached out one tiny hand toward him.

Needing the comfort and yet at the same time feeling guilty for accepting it from a toddler, Nicholas took the hand that Allen was offering to him. This was harder than he ever would have imagined it being but at the same time he knew that it was the only choice that he had. After all, he had made his decision and there was no going back on it now.

It was too late for that.

Willing the tears that had gathered in his gray eyes not to fall Nicholas gazed down at his son. "Now you be a good boy for Uncle Mana alright Allen?"

Having no idea what was really happening, that this was the last time that he would ever see the man, the little boy offered his father a smile. "Okay."

"I love you son."

"Love you too."

Nicholas reached out and caught hold of his son's other hand, the hand that possessed Innocence. Normally his Noah genes would be screaming for him to destroy the Innocence but Nicholas had learned to suppress this urge around his child. Gazing down at the little boy he took both of his son's small hands into his own and, leaning forward, placed a kiss on the spot where their hands were joined. Then he released his grip on Allen's hands, got to his feet and walked away.

This was necessary and for the child's own good, he just had to keep reminding himself of that fact.

"Goodbye," he whispered, needing to say it even though he was fairly certain that the little boy wouldn't hear his softly spoken words.

He didn't look back for fear that he would lose his resolve but instead left the room and made his way back downstairs. Mana was once again in the sitting room and he looked up as he heard Nicholas enter the room. Mana instantly saw the grief stricken look in his brother's eyes and he walked over to the spot where Nicholas was standing. "Are you okay?"

"No," Nicholas replied honestly, noticing that his voice was somewhat shaky. And for once he found that he didn't care if someone picked up on his emotions. "But this is what's best for him."

"I promise that I'll take good care of him," Mana vowed, seeking to offer his brother a measure of comfort. After all he wasn't a parent himself but he knew that it couldn't be an easy thing to leave your child in the care of another.

Nicholas pulled his brother into a tight embrace knowing as he did so that this was the last time that he would see Mana as well. "Treat him as though he were your own Mana."

"I promise," Mana said, giving his brother a few pats on the back.

"There's one other thing," Nicholas said as he pulled away from his brother. Reaching into the pocket of his top coat the Musician pulled out what appeared to be a little diary bound in black. He offered the book to Mana, a strange look in his stormy gray eyes. "Could you keep this and give it to Allen when he gets older?"

"Of course," Mana said, reaching out and taking the little book from his brother. He had no idea what was contained within it's pages but it was obvious, by the look in Nicholas' eyes that it was important. Mana vowed, in that moment, that he wouldn't read it's contents but that he would keep it safe for Allen.

He owed his brother that much.

"I should go," Nicholas said, inclining his head to his brother. "I've already been here too long. Take care Mana."

"We'll see you soon Nicholas."

Mana instinctively knew that this was the last time that he was likely to see his brother but there was a part of him that refused to acknowledge this fact. There was a part of him that would always be waiting for the return of the little brother that he cherished.

A solitary tear slid down Nicholas' face as he turned and walked away from the brother who had practically raised him. He was on his way to face his destiny, a destiny that he had set into motion years ago when he had joined the ranks of the Millennium Earl and the Clan of Noah. The young man knew the likely outcome of the inevitable confrontation but at least he had made sure that it wouldn't end with his death.

"I'm sorry Allen," he whispered as he walked away down the street. "But it's all up to you now."

He trusted his brother to care for the child and keep him safe until he was ready to embrace the destiny that he had been born to. The child would play a vital role in a war that he didn't even know anything about but that would be years from now.

"You will be the one to destroy them my son."

Back at Mana's house the little brown haired child shifted in his sleep and began to softly hum an eerie tune that sounded like a haunting lullaby. He had no idea what his future held in store for him but in the years to come he would learn.

A/N - and there was chapter two. I feel bad for the Musician in this one. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	3. With Two the License Was Given

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - thank you SO much to everyone who has reviewed this story or added it to their favorites list. I had no idea when I started that it would be so popular. I just wanted to let you know that your support is greatly appreciated and I hope that you continue to enjoy. Thanks again. The Musician

Chapter Three - With Two the License was Given

After leaving his son in the care of his brother Nicholas wandered around town for a little while, just trying to kill some time. Sure, he could have gone back to the inn but the young man felt the pressing need to keep moving forward. Never stop... Keep walking... Suddenly the words that his brother had spoken to him on the day that he had left to join the ranks of the Millennium Earl came back to him with shocking clarity.

Mana had been against his decision to follow the stranger who had shown up at their house shortly after those strange little wounds had appeared across his forehead. His brother had thought that he was making a mistake but Nicholas had foolishly ignored his advice and gone anyway. And as he had walked away from the brother who had only been trying to protect him he had heard Mana call out those fateful words to him. "Never stop... keep walking... until the day you die."

And that was what he intended to do.

He actually wished that he had listened to his brother's warnings against the Millennium Earl but he had been blinded by the man's promises of a better world. And now there was no way to take back what had been done no matter how much he may want to.

"So you're still alive are you? I must admit that I'm somewhat surprised by that knowledge."

Jarred from his thoughts by the sound of the familiar voice Nicholas whirled around to face a tall man with flaming red hair. The man was dressed in black and gold and the right side of his face was covered by a strange, half mask. There had been times when Nicholas had wanted to ask what exactly was up with the mask but now it didn't seem so important. "What are you doing here Marian?"

"Following you of course," Cross said, shaking his head at the fact that the Noah was still insisting on calling him Marian. His tone of voice said as plain as words would have that this fact should have been obvious to the Noah. "Those were my orders after all."

"Yea," Nicholas said, rolling his eyes as he gazed at Cross. General Cross Marian was an Exorcist and a member of the Black Order so he had been ordered to keep tabs on the known members of the Clan of Noah. Of course Nicholas was only known to three Exorcists, two of which were dead now. An image of the two women appeared unbidden in the young man's mind but he quickly shook his head to rid himself of those unwanted thoughts. It was unfair but it couldn't be helped so there was no point dwelling on it. "Because we all know that you always follow your orders."

"I follow my orders," Cross said, pulling a flask from the pocket of his coat and taking a drink. This was his reserve and the man made a mental note to go out and get something decent to drink as soon as this little meeting with the Fallen Noah was complete. "When it suits my purposes."

"And how often is that?" Nicholas asked, one eyebrow arched as he gazed at the red haired man. After all he had known Cross for years and couldn't even begin to count the times that the man had received orders from the Black Order only to throw them away without even bothering to read them first.

And there was no possible way that the man could convince him that he had changed his ways.

"Almost never," Cross was forced to admit, a glint in the one red eye that was visible. He continued to stare at the Noah for a few moments and then he asked, "So where's the brat?"

Under any other circumstances Nicholas would have been highly offended to hear his son referred to in such a disrespectful manner but he knew that Cross had a very strange way of showing his affection and calling Allen 'brat' was just his way of showing that he cared. "He's safe."

"Took my advice and got rid of him huh?" Cross said, fixing the younger man with a scrutinizing gaze. It was fairly obvious that he didn't entirely believe the words of the Noah and he seemed to be searching for any signs of deception.

"Something like that," Nicholas said, unwilling to get into the details of the situation. He trusted Cross, to a certain degree at least, but he wasn't willing to take any chances with his son. Allen had to survive and grow up; it was his destiny to end the war. "I'm actually glad that I ran into you Marian. It saves me the trouble of having to track you down."

"Oh?" Cross said, arching a brow. He was caught completely off guard by this statement and found himself wondering what business the Musician could possibly have with him now. After all their alliance had pretty much been destroyed when the brat had decided to attack the Millennium Earl and openly advertise his betrayal. So that left a limited number of things that it could be. "And why exactly would you be tracking me down?"

Reaching into the inner pocket of his top coat Nicholas pulled out a little golden ball. Holding the object in his open palm the Noah and the Exorcist both watched as little wings unfolded, along with a long tail, and the little ball launched its self into the air. Appearing as disgruntled as it was possible for a creature with no face to look the little golden ball flew forward and, opening it's mouth to reveal a set of pointy teeth, attempted to latch its self onto the tip of Nicholas' nose.

Having anticipated the move Nicholas effortlessly caught the creature by the tail, preventing it's attack. "I'm sorry Timcanpy. I wouldn't have put you in there but I couldn't risk losing you. There are a lot of stray cats in this city and I don't have the time to be chasing after them."

"What's up with that thing?" Cross asked, his gaze locked solidly on the little golden creature that Nicholas had called Timcanpy.

"This is Tim," Nicholas said, releasing his hold on Timcanpy and allowing the little creature to have his freedom. The little creature fluttered in the air beside Nicholas' head for a few seconds before settling its self on top of the Noah's top hat. "I'm leaving him with you."

"And why exactly would I take that thing with me?" Cross asked, a scowl on his face.

"Because Tim has the Score," Nicholas said simply, a gleam that could only be described as evil appearing in his stormy eyes.

"And the License?" Cross pressed.

"With two the License was given," Nicholas replied cryptically. "And without both it is impossible to move the Ark. The Heart won't respond to any except my chosen two. If you want to find out what's going on then you're going to have to take care of Timcanpy and wait until the person with the License comes to find you. And rest assured that they will."

Cross ground his teeth together, irritated over the fact that the Musician was seeking to blackmail him, but in the end he knew that there wasn't really anything that he could do about it. He needed to know who had been granted the License of the Player and, although he had initially thought about Allen, in the end he had dismissed this idea.

There was no way that the Fourteenth would do something like that to his own child.

Enjoying the general's frustration to a small degree Nicholas turned his attention back to the little golden creature that was sitting on his top hat. "Timcanpy..."

The little creature was immediately hovering in front of his master, as though he knew that what the Musician had to say was extremely important.

"You're going to go with General Cross," Nicholas said in a quiet voice, gazing at the little creature who had been his constant companion for years. This parting was difficult as well but couldn't hold a candle to the two that had preceded it. "Keep an eye on him and make sure that he doesn't get into too much trouble. He's important to the plan so I don't want him to get his idiot self killed before he serves his purpose."

"You do realize that I can hear you right?" Cross said, sounding irritated.

"I know," Nicholas said, offering the Exorcist General a roguish grin. "I just don't care."

"So how exactly am I suppose to explain this thing to the Black Order?" Cross asked as the little golden creature came to hover beside him. He didn't really want to take it with him but he realized that if he wanted to know what the Fourteenth was up to then he had no choice.

"Tell them that he's a golem of your own design," Nicholas said, rolling his eyes. "Honestly Marian, do I have to tell you everything?"

"Not a bad idea," Cross said, his tone thoughtful.

"Oh and I know it's a lot to ask of you but try not to do anything stupid while in the presence of Timcanpy," Nicholas said, the roguish grin still on his face. "Because Tim's equipped with a recording device and, if you screw up, you will eventually regret it."

"Damn," Cross swore.

"And don't even try to rewire Tim like you do with those Akuma," the Musician said, a tone of warning in his voice. "You'll mess things up and then I'll be forced to come back and haunt you for all of eternity. And believe me, I will do it."

Cross seemed less than concerned by the threat made against him by the traitor Noah but he nodded his head none the less. "Fine, I won't mess with the thing's circuits."

"Well I should probably be on my way," Nicholas said, turning away from Cross and Timcanpy. As he walked away from the spot where the Exorcist was standing Nicholas waved his hand over his shoulder. This was the last encounter that he would ever have with the Exorcist General and he had to admit that he had mixed feelings about this. But it wasn't something that he could dwell on. His decisions had already been made and his destiny decided. "Take care Marian," he called out over his shoulder.

Cross watched as the Fourteenth walked away and then he turned and walked in the opposite direction. He was certain that nothing was going to happen tonight and he needed to find something to drink and, hopefully, someone interesting to share the drink with.

Feeling a weight suddenly settle on top of his hat Cross glanced up. "Not you."

Nicholas heard Cross fussing with Timcanpy and a small smile spread across his face. He had known that leaving Timcanpy with the Exorcist General would annoy the man but he also knew that Cross would deal with the annoyance for the sake of finding out who had the License. Reaching into the inside pocket of his top coat Nicholas pulled out a picture and gazed at the faces of Lyssa and Allen, both of whom he had now lost. "With two the License was given," he whispered as he placed the picture back in his pocket and continued walking. "And only the one who belongs to both worlds will have the power to end the war."

A/N - and there's the end of the third chapter and little Allen wasn't even in this one. But we got to see Cross... and Timcanpy! I absolutely love Timcanpy. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me your thoughts.


	4. Allen

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Four - Allen

Mana was roused from a deep sleep by a strange noise coming from the room next door. Still half asleep Mana sat up in bed and wiped at his eyes with the backs of his hands. What in the world could be causing so much noise so early in the morning? A few seconds passed and then Mana suddenly remembered the events that had transpired the day before.

And it was in that moment that he realized what, or to be more precise who, was making all of the noise that was coming from the room next door.

"Allen..."

Getting quickly to his feet Mana pulled on a robe and then made his way quickly to the room next door. The room where Nicholas had left the little boy, his son, sleeping the night before. When he reached the room Mana placed his hand on the doorknob but then hesitated... This would be his first day taking care of a child and he had to admit that he was somewhat apprehensive. He didn't know anything about children.

More fussing reached his ears and, taking a deep breath, Mana opened the door.

Allen was attempting to extricate himself from the mass of blankets that covered the bed but he stopped the minute that he heard the sound of Mana entering the room. Large gray eyes stared at him for a moment, as though trying to place him, and then the little boy offered Mana a smile.

"Good morning Allen," Mana called out in a cheerful voice as he entered the room and walked over to the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and helped the child disentangle himself from the covers. It was in that moment that he caught sight of the child's left hand.

There was something seriously wrong with it.

Nicholas hadn't mentioned a problem with the child but Mana could tell just by looking at the little boy's hand that it wasn't normal. The skin was blood red and appeared to be rough in texture. _"I guess that was the reason for the gloves,"_ Mana thought to himself as he leaned forward to get a better look at the appendage. _"It's so red, I wonder if it hurts..."_

Noticing that his uncle was staring at his arm the little boy quickly shoved it under the blankets. Caught off guard by the motion Mana's gaze shifted back to the little boy's face and he noticed that Allen had tears glistening in his large gray eyes.

Mana had caught sight of a brief flash of green as the child shoved his hand under the blankets and he vaguely wondered what it had been. But this thought was quickly replaced by another, more pressing one.

_"He's scared," _Mana thought to himself as he continued to gaze at the little boy.

And it was true; the little boy was shaking and appeared to be trying desperately to hold the tears at bay. Mana hadn't really given it much thought but if he were in the child's position he wouldn't want someone that he'd just met staring at it. Mana instantly felt guilty about his actions concerning the deformity of the child's arm and he reached out toward his nephew, seeking to offer him comfort.

Allen pulled away from the touch.

"It's alright Allen," Mana said, offering the boy what he hoped was an encouraging smile. "I just wanted to see. There's nothing wrong with your hand you know. It's different but that doesn't make it bad."

Allen gazed at his uncle for a few moments longer before throwing himself at the man, all reserve seeming to melt away. The little boy buried his face in the fabric of Mana's robe and cried. Shocked by the boy's actions all Mana could do was stare down at the sobbing child but then, after a few moments, instinct kicked in and he began rubbing Allen's back in a comforting manner.

"It's alright Allen," Mana said, his voice quiet as he spoke to the child. "You don't have to be scared of me little one. I promise that I will never do anything to hurt you."

The little boy stopped crying and pulled back, gazing up at Mana with gray eyes rimmed in red. He seemed to be studying Mana, as though trying to figure out if he were telling the truth or not. Then, after a few moments, he offered his uncle a small and somewhat shaky smile.

"Come on kiddo," Mana said, smiling at the boy and hoping as he did so that it would further reassure his nephew. "What do you say we get dressed and then go and find something for breakfast? I don't know about you but I for one am absolutely starving."

Allen didn't say anything however the child immediately pulled himself from Mana's arms and hopped down from the bed. The little boy made his way over to the suitcase that his father had left sitting on a chair across the room and, grasping the handle, he pulled with all the strength that he possessed.

The suitcase, which had been left open, fell to the floor. Scattering clothing in all directions.

Allen gazed at the mess with wide eyes but turned toward his uncle at the sound of Mana laughing. The young man knew that he shouldn't be laughing at the child but the expression on his face had been so funny that Mana simply couldn't resist. Getting to his feet he walked across the room and began to pick up the scattered articles of clothing.

Once the mess had been cleaned up Mana held out a pair of black trousers and a white shirt to his little nephew. Allen snatched the clothes from his uncle and then began shoving the man toward the door. It took a few minutes but Mana eventually got the hint.

He was supposed to leave.

"Alright Allen," he said with a chuckle. "I'm going to go back to my room and get dressed. I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes."

Allen's only reply was to shove Mana once again.

"Alright," Mana said, getting the not so subtle hint that was being given to him by the child. "I'm going."

Still laughing at his nephew Mana made his way back to his own room, where he dressed in gray slacks, a white button up shirt and a gray vest. The last thing he did was tie a gray ribbon around his throat, to serve as a tie, and then he gazed over at the clock that was positioned on the mantel. It had only taken him a couple of minutes to get dressed so Mana sat down on the edge of his bed, to give the little boy next door some more time to get dressed. Then, once he was certain that he had given the child enough time to get dressed, he made his way back to Allen's room.

When Mana reached the door he knocked lightly, to announce his arrival, and then stepped inside. Allen was fighting with his shoes but everything else seemed to be in place. He was even wearing the little pair of white gloves, which Mana hadn't given to him. Allen was standing on one foot, trying to force his other shoe on, but after a few moments he lost his balance and fell back.

A scowl instantly appeared on the little boy's face and Mana was once again unable to contain his laughter. Chuckling softly to himself Mana walked over to the child and picked him up. "Let me help you with that," Mana said, placing Allen on the edge of the bed. He quickly fixed the boy's shoes, tied them, and then scooped the little boy up into his arms.

"And now... breakfast!"

The scowl on Allen's face was instantly replaced by a broad smile.

"Like that idea do you?" Mana asked as he left the room. He carried his nephew downstairs and then, we they reached the kitchen, Mana placed the little boy down and walked over to the stove. Having lived virtually on his own since he was in his mid teens Mana was a fairly good cook and he quickly set about making breakfast for himself and Allen.

For his part Allen stood and stared.

Before long Mana had breakfast on the table and he watched, a somewhat shocked expression, as his tiny nephew tore into the meal like someone possessed. This child had the most voracious appetite that he had ever seen in his life and he couldn't help but be impressed with the fact that he managed to eat so much and yet he was so small.

Vaguely he found himself wondering if there wasn't in fact something wrong with the child. _"Perhaps I should have a doctor look at him..." _the man thought to himself as he watched Allen clean plate after plate of food. Then, once the little boy was finished eating, Allen gazed up at his uncle and offered him a bright smile. "Come along Allen," Mana said, offering the child his hand and deciding as he did so that he would grab something to eat later. "Let's go into the sitting room."

" 'Kay!"

Taking the little boy by the hand Mana led him into the sitting room, where the playing cards were still sitting on the coffee table from their game the night before. Pulling his hand free Allen ran over and picked up the deck of cards, turning hopeful gray eyes in the direction of his uncle.

"Play again?" he asked innocently.

"One game," Mana said, unable to resist those huge, pleading eyes. "But after that you and I have to do a little shopping. If you're going to eat like that at every meal then I don't have nearly enough groceries. Plus we have to find something to occupy your time since I can't spend my days playing cards."

"Can to," Allen said.

Chuckling softly to himself, and inwardly marveling at how similar Allen was to Nicholas, Mana sat down in the floor and dealt the cards. The game was a quick one and before long Mana was declared the winner, much to the annoyance of his little nephew.

"Cheer up Allen," Mana said as he got to his feet, thinking to himself as he did so that he was getting too old to sit in the floor. His joints should not be popping the way that they were. "We'll find you something fun to play with while we're out and when we get back I promise I'll give you a rematch. Alright?"

Allen thought about the question for a few minutes before nodding. " 'Kay!"

Grateful that the child was going along willingly enough Mana sent the little boy upstairs to fetch his coat while he grabbed his own top coat from the coat rack that was positioned beside the door. The child soon returned, pulling on his little black coat, and Mana once again thought that he was quite the little gentleman.

"Let's go Allen," he said, holding out his hand.

Allen took the hand that was offered to him, a smile lighting up his face.

A/N - Allen/Mana bonding chapter. I like the two of them together and Allen is less of a little brat in this story. He has a better past than the one that I imagine he actually had. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	5. The Cross

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - this story has been popular beyond my wildest dreams and I would just like to thank the following people for their reviews to the previous chapter: PeanutAngel, crazy DGM fan, xTimcampi, Topsy Turvy, 14th Noah, MoonlitMelody, SSA Nicholas Reid, mysticwolf1896, Shelly, rmiller92, Feneris and PalkiaX. Thank you guys so much for the reviews! Each one was appreciated more than you know.

Chapter Five - The Cross

When Mana and Allen returned from their trip to the shopping district the young man ushered the little boy into the sitting room and handed him the package that contained the toys that he had bought for the child. It wasn't much, just a set of blocks, a stuffed dog and a wooden model of an automobile, but Allen seemed delighted by the gifts. Mana had also bought the child a couple of chapter books but he had the feeling that he and the little boy would be reading those together, seeing as Allen was so young.

Not that he really minded the thought all that much. It might be really enjoyable to sit with the little boy and read.

A smile appeared on Mana's face as this mental image appeared in his mind. He really enjoyed spending time with his little nephew, even though they hadn't done much of it. The little boy reminded him a great deal of his Nicholas and Mana found himself excited about the prospect of learning more about the little boy. But that would have to wait until he had put away the supplies that he had acquired.

After that there would be plenty of time to play with Allen.

Once the child was occupied with his toys Mana set about putting up the groceries that he had bought while they were out. This was the largest amount of supplies that he had ever came home with at one time and Mana couldn't help but think that if he were alone it would be enough to last him a couple of months.

But with Allen who knew how long they would last.

"That boy's a bottomless pit," Mana chuckled softly to himself as he worked to put away the supplies that he had purchased. The young man found himself feeling grateful that his parents had left him with a small fortune when they had passed away; if they hadn't then it seemed likely that he wouldn't have been able to keep Allen fed and he found himself vaguely wondering exactly how Nicholas had managed.

After all, to his knowledge, his brother had never had a job.

"Maaaanaaaa!"

Mana was brought out of his internal musings by the sound of the little boy calling out to him in a plaintive tone of voice. Completely startled the man jumped slightly, his gaze going toward the door of the dining room. He couldn't see Allen of course but it definitely sounded as though something were wrong with the child. Dropping the bag of flour that he had been holding in his hands the man rushed from the pantry and practically ran down the hall to the sitting room.

Allen was sitting in the middle of the floor, holding his new stuffed dog to his chest. His gray eyes were wide and filled with tears.

"What is it Allen?" Mana asked, rushing over to the little boy and kneeling down beside him. His gaze quickly swept over the child's body, searching for any signs of injury, and he actually heaved an audible sigh of relief when he didn't find any. "What's the matter?" he asked, calming a degree and gazing down at the child.

"Where's Father?" the little boy asked, tears glistening in his gray eyes as he gazed up at his uncle.

_"Oh no," _Mana thought to himself, having hoped that he would have some time before he was forced to have this conversation with his little nephew. _"I'm not ready for this..."_

But, now that the question had been asked, there could be no going back. After all it wasn't as though he could simply ignore the fact that the little boy had asked him a question. He would have to tell the child something… but what exactly?

He couldn't very well tell the child that his father had given him away. He had the feeling that this wouldn't go over well at all.

So he improvised.

"Your father had something important that he had to take care of," Mana said, giving Allen only the vaguest of details. Hopefully this would be enough to satisfy the little boy, at least for the time being. "You're going to be staying here with me until he returns. Alright Allen?"

Allen gazed up at Mana for a few moments, as though giving serious thought to the words that his uncle had spoken. Mana couldn't help but think about how comical such a serious face looked on such a small child but he remained quiet. This was no laughing matter and for once he could resist the urge. Finally, after a few moments, Allen wiped the tears from his large gray eyes and nodded his head. "Okay."

Mana could tell that the little boy was still sad about the fact that his father had left without him but it seemed as though Allen trusted him. He vowed in that moment to make certain that Allen never had cause to regret the trust that he had given him.

"Hey," Mana said, looking for a way to distract the child from his sadness. "How about you and I have that rematch now Allen?"

The little boy's gray eyes lit up at the suggestion, all traces of sadness disappearing from his face. "Yea!"

And that seemed to serve the purpose of diverting the child's attention away from the fact that his father was missing. Allen immediately ran in search of the deck of playing cards, returning mere minutes later with the cards held in his hands and a wide smile spread across his face.

"That's what I like to see," Mana said, taking the deck of cards from his nephew and reaching out to tousle the boy's already unruly brown hair as he did so. The smile was so much better than the look that Allen had worn earlier and Mana desperately wanted to keep the child happy.

Because he really didn't know how to handle a crying child.

Not having any children of his own he was well aware of the fact that his parenting skills were sadly lacking.

"Guess I'm just going to have to learn the hard way," he thought to himself as he shuffled the cards that he held in his hands.

* * *

Mana and Allen spent most of the remainder of the day playing cards in the sitting room floor, only pausing for food. And once again Mana was forced to marvel at the sheer size of the child's appetite. The little boy ate more than most adults that Mana had encountered in his life. And if the kid ate this much now he really had no idea how he was going to afford to feed him when he got older.

"_I'm going to have to get a job," _he thought to himself as he watched his nephew practically inhale his food. It was indeed an amazing sight; truly breathtaking. _"Is he even tasting any of that?"_

This thought was interrupted as Allen's eyes widened and his face began to turn blue. The little boy quickly reached for the glass of milk that was positioned beside his plate and Mana panicked, afraid that the kid was going to choke to death.

Fortunately the milk dislodged whatever had been stuck in the boy's throat and Allen continued with his meal as though nothing had happened. He didn't seem even the slightest bit affected by the fact that he had came so close to choking.

Mana, of course, was a completely different story.

"Jeez Allen," Mana said, placing his hand over his chest and feeling his heart pounding. "Chew your food a little better would you please?" The man sighed, in an effort to calm his racing heart. "I can't handle this."

Allen offered his uncle a smile but didn't seem to be listening to the words that were being spoken to him.

"He's just like his father," Mana said, shaking his head. "Neither of them listen to a word I say."

As soon as Allen was finished eating Mana sent the child upstairs to his room to get ready for bed. It was still rather early but the child had gotten to bed late the night before and Mana could tell that he was tired. And besides that, Mana needed some time to recover from the day.

Having a child was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"Most people have nine months to prepare for parenthood," Mana mused to himself as he busied himself with the dishes. "But of course I just can't do anything the normal way."

He'd become a parent in an instant and on top of that his child was three years old.

Once Mana had finished with the dishes he made his way upstairs to Allen's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and Mana stepped inside without knocking. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness of the room but when they did his searching gaze fell upon the form of his nephew.

A smile instantly appeared on his face at the sight that met his gaze.

Allen had fallen asleep in the floor, his little arms wrapped around the stuffed dog that Mana had bought for him.

"Well," Mana muttered as he walked over and scooped the child up into his arms. "At least he's wearing his pajamas."

Careful not to awaken the child Mana placed him in bed and pulled the covers up over his small form. It was then that he noticed that Allen was still wearing the pair of little white gloves and, with a sigh, he pulled them off. The little boy's right hand was normal but his left was deep red in color and seemed to have something embedded in the back of it. It almost looked as though a piece of glass in the shape of a cross had been pressed into the back of the child's hand.

"Strange," Mana muttered to himself as he stared at the strange little object.

It didn't seem to cause the boy any pain but Mana had noticed that Allen couldn't use his left arm as well as he could use his right. It seemed somewhat stiff and Mana guessed that it was difficult to move.

"I wonder if Nicholas ever had anyone look at this," he muttered to himself as he gently placed the child's hand under the covers. He had no way to prove it but Mana was almost certain that Nicholas would have done everything in his power to find out the cause of the child's affliction.

"_I guess there wasn't anything that could be done for it," _Mana thought to himself as he walked across the room to the chair where the little boy's suitcase was still sitting. That was the only way that he could explain the fact that his brother hadn't mentioned the deformity. _"Maybe it's just normal to him and he didn't think anything about it."_

With this thought in mind Mana decided that, as long as the little object didn't appear to be causing Allen pain, he would just ignore the fact that it was there.

"_Well," _he thought to himself as he pulled the clothes from the suitcase_. "I should probably put these away."_

Mana set about putting away the clothes that Nicholas had brought for the little boy but he paused as he caught sight of the corner of a piece of paper in the bottom of the suitcase. _"I wonder what this is," _he thought to himself as he pulled at the corner. When he finally managed to free it from the clothes that had been covering it Mana discovered that it was actually a couple of pieces of paper and he thumbed through them curiously.

They were adoption papers for Allen, which Nicholas had already filled out and signed.

All that was required was his own signature for it to become official. He was now the legal guardian and adoptive father of Allen Nicholas Walker.

This was real.

Mana wasn't certain why it had taken these pieces of paper to cause the seriousness of the situation to dawn on him but now the sheer magnitude of his situation hit him like a ton of bricks. He was really responsible for a child. In reality Mana had known this from the beginning but for some reason those pieces of paper made it seem more real to him.

"This is scary," he whispered, his eyes wide as his gaze shifted from the adoption papers to the child who was sleeping soundly in the bed.

Deep down inside he'd known that Nicholas wasn't going to return but the adoption papers that he now held in his hand seemed to make the situation more real somehow. Allen was his responsibility now and he vowed once again that he would do everything in his power to make sure that the little boy had the best life possible.

Both for his brother and for Allen himself.

"I can do this," Mana said as he resumed his task of putting the child's clothing into the dresser that stood opposite the bed. Hopefully the words that he was speaking to himself would prove to be true. He could do this… he didn't have a choice.

A/N - and there's the end of another chapter. I think Mana might be on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown, poor guy. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	6. Adapting

Disclaimer - I own D Gray Man… NOT! All characters belong to Hoshino-sensei. Comes as a shock to you guys doesn't it? Yea… I thought not.

A/N- I would like to extend a special thank you to the following people who submitted reviews for this story: Sakra-chan, Allen's Lover, rmiller92, mysticwolf1896, 14th Noah, MoonlitMelody, Palkia X, xTimcampi, jj, SSA Nicholas Reid, Topsy Turvy, PeanutAngel, Shelly, Icetiger 13 and Spirit Wolf. I just want you guys to know that I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to leave a review. Thank you so much!

Chapter Six - Adapting

"Allen!" Mana called out as he opened the door of the little boy's room. It was later than the child normally awoke and Mana wasn't exactly certain what was going on. Hopefully there wasn't anything wrong with the little boy, after all his nerves couldn't handle that. He was just beginning to figure out the basics of caring for a child but he wasn't prepared to nurse the little boy through illness. Not that he was certain that he would ever be ready for that.

Mana stuck his head just inside the door, trying to see if the little boy was responding to his words. Apparently not since the form under the blankets hadn't even shifted positions.

"_That's okay," _Mana thought to himself, a smirk appearing on his face. It seemed as though Allen could sleep through virtually anything, or else the kid had selective hearing, but that was alright because Mana knew exactly how to remedy this little problem, whichever happened to be the case. And the solution was so simple. _"Because I know exactly how to wake him up."_

Opening the door and stepping into the room Mana raised his voice slightly. "Allen… time for breakfast!"

That did it.

The blankets were immediately tossed aside and a shock of unruly brown hair appeared. Apparently excited about the prospect of food Allen bounded from the bed in a flurry of limbs. Which turned out to be a mistake because his foot became tangled in the blankets and he ended up lying on the floor with a very stunned expression on his face.

"Allen!" Mana exclaimed as he rushed forward to make sure that his nephew was alright. He made a move to kneel down beside the boy but Allen was on his feet before he had the chance, the smile still on his face.

"Let's eat!" the boy exclaimed, causing Mana to smile and chuckle softly to himself.

"Don't you think that you should maybe get dressed first?" Mana asked the child who was gazing up at him with a hopeful expression in his stormy gray eyes.

"No," Allen replied without hesitation, shaking his head as he gazed up at his uncle. It was obvious by both his tone and his expression that he was completely unconcerned by the fact that he was still dressed in his pajamas. Apparently clothes weren't high up on the kid's list of priorities.

"Well I do," Mana said, walking over to the dresser that held Allen's clothes. Pulling open the top drawer he reached inside and pulled out a pair of gray trousers and a white shirt, both of which he handed to a very disgruntled looking Allen. "Don't look at me like that. The sooner you get dressed then the sooner we can eat alright?"

" 'Kay!" Allen exclaimed, the smile returning to his face. Mana was quickly learning that it didn't really take much to please the little guy and food was at the top of the list.

An offering of food seemed to be the cure all for any situation. At least it had worked for all of the situations that Mana had encountered thus far, which was a promising sign.

"I'll be downstairs," Mana said, knowing that Allen was perfectly capable of getting himself dressed. And also that he was very modest for such a young child.

Allen nodded and instead of simply watching Mana leave the room the child followed his uncle across the room, slamming the door closed as soon as Mana had crossed the threshold. He was in a hurry for the man to be gone so that he could change clothes and then go have breakfast. After all he was absolutely starving.

* * *

After breakfast Mana decided that he would try something different today. Up until this point, he and Allen had been spending their days inside but today was such a pretty day that Mana decided that the two of them should go for a walk.

"Hey Allen," he called out to the child, who was sitting in the floor and playing with the set of blocks that Mana had bought for him. "How would you like to take a little trip?"

"To where?" Allen asked as his gaze shifted up to lock onto his uncle, his eyes wide and curious.

Mana shrugged, not really having a set destination in mind. He just wanted to get out of the house for a little while. "Oh I don't know. To where ever we end up I suppose."

That sounded like an adventure and Allen quickly nodded his head. He was quickly learning that his uncle was a lot of fun and couldn't wait to see what kind of fun they could have outside.

"Come on then," Mana said, offering his hand to the little boy.

Allen immediately placed his own, gloved hand into the hand that Mana was offering to him and together the two of them made their way toward the front door. There Mana paused long enough to help Allen put on his little coat, as well as put on his own, and then the two of them left the house.

"Outside, outside…" the child chanted in a sing songy voice, obviously delighted.

Mana couldn't help but to smile at the antics of the brown haired little boy. Mana's house was on the outskirts of town, nothing special, but Allen seemed to be in awe. The little boy was practically bursting with energy and Mana decided in that instant that the two of them were going for an extra long walk.

He needed for the kid to burn off some of that energy before they returned home or else he would be bouncing off the walls. Mana was absolutely amazed by the amount of energy that Allen possessed and vaguely found himself wondering if he had ever been that energetic. Thinking back the man came to the conclusion that Allen had way more energy than he had ever possessed.

"_I know where he gets it," _Mana thought to himself as Allen pulled his gloved hand away and did a cartwheel, which was apparently easy for him despite his partially paralyzed hand. His thoughts went back to his childhood and a smile spread across the man's face as he realized that Allen was just like Nicholas had been at that age_. "I think I may be in for a little more than I bargained for with this little guy."_

And yet he couldn't help but be a little happy about the fact that Allen was so much like his father. It was like getting a chance to be with Nicholas again, back when he had been carefree and happy. Before he had became involved with those strangers who had changed him forever.

Mana's mood darkened as he thought about the people who had led his younger brother astray.

What he wouldn't give to be able to go back to the time before Nicholas was changed by those people.

Mana snapped out of his reverie just in time to watch as his young charge disappeared around a corner. His eyes wide and horrified Mana took off after the child. _"No!"_ he thought, beginning to panic due to the fact that he could no longer see the child._ "I've only had him for a week and now I've lost him!"_

Mana took off in a sprint and within seconds he realized that he was painfully out of shape. _"My lungs should not be burning like this,"_ he thought, slightly disgruntled. He had always thought himself to be in pretty good shape but this little run was proving just how wrong he had been in that assumption.

Mana quickly followed the path that he knew Allen had to have taken and it wasn't long before he found the little boy, crouched in an alleyway and staring at something that Mana couldn't see. Taking deep breaths, in an effort to ease the pain in his chest, Mana came to stand beside the child. Gazing down he couldn't figure out what had captured the child's attention at first but then the pile of cardboard that Allen had been staring at began to move and Mana's gaze fell upon a brown and white puppy.

Kneeling down Mana saw that the little dog couldn't be very old and it was painfully skinny. _"Someone must have abandoned the little guy," _he thought to himself as he reached out and seized hold of Allen's little hand. It was a sad fact of life but things like that did happen sometimes. He attempted to lead Allen back out of the alley so that they could continue with their walk but the little boy refused to budge.

He stood firm and pointed down at the little puppy.

"_Oh great," _Mana thought as he saw the determination that was shining in Allen's gray eyes. He knew that look, having received it multiple times from Allen's father, and there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that Allen would not relent. _"He wants to take it home with us."_

Mana thought about what to do about the situation for a few minutes before finally reaching a decision. Taking a deep breath he forced a stern expression on his face and knelt down beside his young nephew. Placing his hands on the little boy's shoulders, to make certain that he had the child's complete and undivided attention, Mana locked gazes with the child. "Allen… I'll make a deal with you. You can keep the dog if you promise me that you will never run away like that again. You scared me and you could have easily gotten lost. Is it a deal?"

"Deal!" Allen exclaimed, jumping into the air with a little shout. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that his uncle was angry with him, so great was his excitement.

This action scared the little puppy, who quickly burrowed back into the pile of cardboard where he had been hiding previously.

Allen's gaze shifted back to the pile of cardboard and he seemed to be searching for the puppy.

"You have to be quiet around him Allen," Mana said as he reached out and captured the little dog. It made a half hearted attempt at escape but seemed to weak to really fight the hold that he had on it. "He's little and you're scaring him."

"I sorry Mana," Allen whispered, a guilty expression on his face. He seemed to feel bad about the fact that his outburst had scared the puppy. Nicholas had been correct; Allen really was the caring type. "Didn' mean to."

"I know you didn't mean to Allen. It's okay," Mana said as he got to his feet and offered his free hand to the child. So much for their long walk; now they needed to go back home and get the starving puppy something to eat. _"Oh well," _he thought as he turned and led the way back toward his house. _"Maybe having the puppy will calm him down a little bit."_

His gaze shifted briefly to the child who's hand he was gripping firmly and he watched as Allen skipped along, a delighted expression on his face.

It was obvious that he was still bursting with energy.

"_Then again, maybe not."_

When the odd trio arrived back home Mana offered the little puppy to Allen. "Here Allen," he said as he carefully settled the tiny dog in his nephew's arms. "Hold him for a minute so I can take off my coat. And be really careful because he's little and you don't want to hurt him."

Allen nodded and held the little dog as though he were holding an armful of eggs. The little boy stood completely still and didn't move so much as a muscle as Mana removed his coat and hung it on the coat rack.

"Very good Allen," the man said as he reached out and took the puppy out of the little boy's arms. "Now take off your coat and then we'll get the puppy something to eat."

Anxious to do as he was told Allen quickly pulled off his own coat but then the little boy paused, as though uncertain what to do next. Allen's gray eyes shifted back and forth between the coat that he was holding in his hands and the coat rack where Mana had hung his own coat.

There was absolutely no way that he could reach high enough to hang up his coat but Allen knew better than to just drop it in the floor.

He didn't know what to do and his eyes showed his indecision.

Laughing out loud Mana took the coat from the child and hung it on the coat rack. Then he held out his hand to the little boy. "Come Allen. This little guy is going to be your responsibility and the first thing that we need to do is get him something to eat."

" 'Kay!" Allen exclaimed, then quickly clamped both of his hands over his mouth. He'd forgotten that Mana had told him that he had to be quiet around the puppy and he quickly gazed at his uncle.

"It's alright," Mana quickly assured the child, offering him a smile. "He seems to have gotten used to you now. Just try to remember to use your inside voice alright?"

Allen nodded.

Pleased by the effort that Allen was making Mana led the way into the kitchen, where he quickly poured some milk into a bowl for the puppy. The little thing looked weak and Mana wasn't sure whether he could handle anything solid so he decided that milk was the best thing to give him at the moment.

Allen sat down on the floor and watched as the little puppy lapped up the milk that Mana had given him. There was a soft smile on the little boy's face and Mana found himself glad that he had allowed the child to keep the puppy.

His mind once again flashed back to his childhood and he remembered that Nicholas had once brought home a puppy only to be told by their parents that he couldn't keep it. Mana remembered how devastated his brother had been and he was glad that he hadn't inadvertently done the same thing to Allen.

After the dog had drained the contents of the bowl he crawled over to Allen and snuggled up against the little boy's leg. The smile on Allen's face grew even wider as he placed one hand on the puppy's fur.

"So Allen," Mana said as he gazed at the pair. "What are you going to name him?"

Allen gazed down at the puppy who was sleeping curled up beside him, a thoughtful expression in his gray eyes. He studied the patches of brown that decorated the little dog's white coat as though looking for inspiration. Then, after a couple of minutes of thought, the three year old replied, "Star."

Mana nodded, having noticed that the little dog did have an odd brown patch on his side that looked somewhat like a star. It was as good a name as any other for the little guy. "Alright then, Star it is." Walking over to the spot where they sat in the floor Mana picked the puppy up with one hand and used the other arm to lift Allen. "We should make the little guy a bed upstairs. Then I think it's time for you and I to have lunch."

" 'Kay," Allen said, this time remembering that he was supposed to speak quietly when he was around the puppy.

"_This could be the best decision that I've made so far," _Mana thought as he carried the boy and the puppy upstairs.

A/N - Aw, Allen found a puppy. For those of you who read the manga the puppy is supposed to be the little dog that Mana had before he met Allen. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	7. Reflection

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - early update because it's my birthday and I'm depressed. I would like to thank the following people for the reviews that they submitted to chapter six: reiniko:D, 14th Noah, Mysticwolf1896, Aerin Renning, xTimcampi, PeanutAngel, rmiller92, Shelly, SSA Nicholas Reid, Icetiger 13, crazy DGM fan, MoonlitMelody, :P, Topsy Turvy, cookiemania789, Vincent Noir, emo girl, and PalkiaX! You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews!

Chapter Seven - Reflection

Aside from himself, only one member of the Clan of Noah remained, as well as the Earl himself, and the Musician was determined to end their miserable existence as well.

For Lyssa and Allen he would destroy the so called family that he had foolishly embraced. The family that had robbed him of the chance at true happiness.

Had robbed him of his true family. His wife and his son.

Standing alone in the middle of a bloody battlefield Nicholas reflected on the events that had led him to this point. Led him to the destruction of so many of his so called siblings. His thoughts flashed back to the reasons for his current position.

FLASHBACK

"I can't believe that the man wants to meet out in the middle of nowhere like this," Nicholas muttered to himself in an irritated tone of voice as he walked across an empty meadow, followed along closely by Timcanpy. This was the last place that he would have chosen but for some reason the Exorcist preferred to meet out in locations like this.

It seemed he held more fear of their alliance being discovered than Nicholas himself. Which was weird since the Musician had the most to lose if anyone discovered them together.

"Deal with it Noah," a harsh voice called out, breaking the silence.

Seemingly startled by the new arrival, or perhaps by his harsh tone, Timcanpy quickly ducked inside Nicholas' top coat.

It came as no surprise to the Musician that the Exorcist was following along behind him but he didn't make a big deal about the fact that he was being followed. Instead he merely turned around to face the one Exorcist on the planet who knew about his existence.

And it was in this instant that he learned that the Exorcist wasn't alone. Standing on either side of the red haired man were two women. One was tall with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes while the other was younger and…

Nicholas' gray eyes widened as his gaze fell upon this young woman. With long, flowing chestnut hair and gentle brown eyes she was the most beautiful woman that the Musician had ever lain eyes on.

But who exactly were these women?

This meeting was supposed to be a secret; it had been their agreement to keep everyone else out of it.

So what had changed?

"What's the big idea Marian? You promised that you would always meet me alone." The Musician glared at the Exorcist, irritated that he hadn't expected this. There was a hard look in his gray eyes as he gazed at the Exorcist whom he had foolishly thought that he could trust. "I should have known that I couldn't trust you."

"Calm down brat," the red haired man named Cross snapped, pulling a cigarette from the inside pocket of his coat and casually lighting the end. He really hated the fact that the brat used that name but decided to let it go for now. There were more important things to discuss at the moment. His gaze was focused on the young Noah, the extra member of the clan that he knew to be siding with the Millennium Earl. "Both of these beautiful ladies can be trusted. Maria is my wife," he gestured toward the blond woman before continuing. "And Lyssa is my apprentice."

"W… wife?" Nicholas sputtered, his eyes widening at this news. He was completely shocked by this little revelation from Cross and made absolutely no attempt to hide this fact. "Who in their right mind would actually want to marry you? Wait a minute… did you force her into it Marian?"

The blond woman named Maria chuckled softly, seemingly amused by the Musician's words, and Nicholas noted that her laughter had a musical quality to it. "He couldn't force me into anything, not even if his life depended upon it. He's nowhere near as tough as he acts." This said, Maria turned and lightly punched Cross in the arm. "You know, if you would just allow people to see the real you then you wouldn't have this problem. You're so dense."

"Shut up," Cross said but his voice wasn't anywhere near as harsh as it would have been had he been talking to anyone else.

"Oh I don't believe this," Nicholas muttered. This was supposed to be a meeting to discuss plans to cease the war between the Exorcists and the Clan of Noah but it was turning out to be anything but. "I should have known that this wouldn't work out."

"The only reason it isn't working out is because you're too hung up on the fact that I happen to be married," Cross said, his tone irritated.

"Well excuse me for being shocked," Nicholas said, shaking his head. "But I was under the impression that you weren't exactly human and I'm still reeling from the knowledge that you're actually more normal than you let on."

"I'm nowhere near normal," Cross said, glaring at the younger man. Honestly he'd thought the Noah to be more mature than this. "There, now I've admitted to this fact so you can stop having a meltdown and we can get on with business."

END FLASHBACK

That had been the beginning of the end for everything that they had worked so hard for, as well as for the lives of the two women. Cross had told Nicholas later that, after this meeting, he had been the only thing that Lyssa could talk about.

It had been love at first sight for both of them.

And for this fact Nicholas felt the most guilt. After all, if she had never met him, then Lyssa would more than likely still be alive. Sure she was an Exorcist, a dangerous line of work in these troubled times, but it was her relationship with him that had ended her life.

It was all his fault.

And the loss was doubled due to the fact that he had been forced to give up their child, whom Lyssa had died to protect. Of course it was better this way; with Mana the little boy would have the chance to have a normal upbringing. That was something that he would never have been able to provide to Allen but the loss of the child was still raw and painful for Nicholas.

"_All of this is my fault," _Nicholas thought to himself, shivering slightly as he felt a familiar presence arrive at the battlefield. Everyone had suffered because of him but the Musician was fully prepared to atone for the mistakes that he had made.

This would be the final showdown.

Of that he had no doubt.

"Good evening dear boy," a familiar voice called out in a calm tone.

Nicholas gazed up and wasn't surprised to see the Millennium Earl standing a few yards away from him. The Earl's gaze briefly surveyed the bloodied ground and then he turned his cold eyes to the Musician.

"Lord Millennium," Nicholas said, nodding his head ever so slightly to the man who had promised him happiness and then ruined any chance he actually had of obtaining it. Both their tones were light, as though this were a casual meeting, but Nicholas knew that it was anything but.

This would be a battle to the death and the young Noah was fully expecting to lose. But it didn't matter so long as Allen was kept safe and allowed to grow into the man that he was destined to become.

The one who belonged to both worlds.

His child was the one who would end the war, of that Nicholas was certain.

"So I've noticed that the Ark is no longer responding," the Millennium Earl said, his tone still calm although the perpetual grin that he always wore on his face had turned somewhat sinister.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to notice," Nicholas said, a roguish grin appearing on his face. He wanted to make sure that he maintained his customary arrogant attitude throughout this encounter. The Musician knew that it would throw off the Earl, anger him, and the young man knew that he would need every advantage that he could get. "I must admit that it took you longer than I expected."

"Remove the curse," the Earl said in a commanding tone, as though he fully expected for the traitor Noah to follow his orders.

"I'm afraid that I simply cannot do that," Nicholas said, his tone cool and collected even though his heart was absolutely racing. "The Ark will remained tied to Edo forever. No one save for me can control it now."

"You refuse huh?" the Earl said, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the Noah of Praise. He had favored this child, which made his betrayal all the worse. A sinister aura seemed to grow around the Earl; power seemed to radiate off of him in waves that were clearly visible to the Noah that he was facing off against. "That is regrettable my boy. I'm afraid that it means your death shall be slow and painful."

This knowledge came as no surprise to the Musician. Nicholas had already known that the Earl would want to make him suffer, both for the curse that he had placed on Noah's Ark and for the deaths of the other members of the Clan of Noah. He was resigned to his fate but there was something that he needed to know.

"Tell me why," he demanded, his tone low and deadly.

"She was in the way," the Earl said without hesitation. He didn't need any clarification as to what the Noah of Praise was referring to; he knew exactly what had turned this child away from him.

It had been that woman.

"Just know," Nicholas said, his golden eyes narrowed. "That everything that happened after that was your fault. You caused it all."

This said the Musician prepared for a fight. He was fairly certain that he wouldn't survive the encounter with the head of his former surrogate 'family' but despite this knowledge Nicholas was determined to fight. It would be wonderful if he somehow miraculously managed to win but even if that wasn't the case hope would not be lost.

Because of Allen.

"Prepare yourself," the Earl said, breaking into the Musician's thoughts.

Nicholas nodded. He was prepared, for whatever happened. Had been ever since the day that he had left Allen in the care of his brother.

Allen and Mana were safe and this knowledge allowed Nicholas to fight with a light heart.

Nicholas closed his eyes for the briefest of moments and called forth a vision of his family as he remembered them; Lyssa smiling with Allen held in her arms. That was the thought that he wanted in his mind at this moment, a thought that brought him a great deal of comfort.

* * *

General Cross Marian had been following the fallen Noah around ever since he had openly betrayed the Millennium Earl but somehow the kid had managed to give him the slip. "Argh," he growled low in his throat as he searched for the young man. "I can't believe he gave me the slip and I guarantee that the stupid brat is planning to fight the Earl on his own. Idiot!"

As he searched for the Noah who had been working alongside himself and a few others Cross thought back to the only apprentice that he had ever trained.

Lyssa Wolfe

An image of the naïve young girl appeared in his mind's eye and Cross felt a momentary stab of guilt. It was his fault that she was dead since it was through him that she had met the instrument of her demise.

The Noah that she had fallen head over heels in love with.

And now that useless brat was missing and suicidal, which did not make for a good combination. "I'm going to kill him when I find him," Cross vowed, clenching his hands into fists.

A sudden blur of gold captured Cross' attention. He had forgotten about the little creature that the Musician had blackmailed him into taking with him but now he focused his full attention on the creature for the first time.

It was hard to tell, since the thing didn't have a face and therefore couldn't display emotions, but Timcanpy seemed overly agitated. He was flitting around in the air as though in great pain and then suddenly, without warning, he took off.

Now beyond irritated Cross had no choice except to follow the little creature. After all he needed Timcanpy if he were to ever find the person to whom Nicholas had given the License of the Player so he couldn't afford to lose the creature now.

"Damn it all to hell!"

Cross followed Timcanpy out to a secluded meadow, surrounded by a dense grove of trees, and it was there that he discovered the cause for the creature's unrest. In the center of the clearing stood the Millennium Earl and on the ground at his feet was a bloody form that Cross couldn't see clearly but had no trouble identifying.

It was the Musician.

"Oh look," the Earl said, his gaze focusing on the new arrival. The perpetual grin never left his face as he faced the glaring gaze of the new arrival. "An Exorcist. I think I'll take my leave now."

And with those parting words the Earl pulled out an umbrella, which he used to launch himself into the air.

Cross' first instinct was to attack the retreating Earl but a groan from the bloody form on the ground was enough to change his mind. Shaking his head the red haired Exorcist ran over to the spot where the Earl had been standing and, once there, he dropped to the ground at the Musician's side.

The fallen Noah was covered in blood but it was the look in the youth's eyes that drew Cross' attention.

Even severely injured and no doubt in incredible pain the Musician had a peaceful look in his eyes, which had reverted to their natural stormy gray.

On the verge of death the young man had reverted back to his 'white' persona.

"What have you done you stupid brat?" Cross demanded as he pulled the young man's upper body into his lap. His words were harsh and he glared at the young man. The brat was dying and it was all because of a stupid decision to seek revenge.

"They're vulnerable now," Nicholas whispered, his voice weak and somewhat shaky as he fought to remain conscious long enough to deliver this important bit of news to the Exorcist General. He was well aware of the fact that he was dying but he refused to give in until he had imparted this bit of information to his former partner. "I killed eleven of them… don't stop the fight… it is possible… you can… win."

The Musician's eyes turned glassy at this point and he tensed briefly before all of his muscles relaxed.

As his vision began to blur Nicholas noticed that the excruciating pain was beginning to dull and he was being bathed in a bright light.

And there, standing in the middle of the light with a bright smile on her face, was his Lyssa.

"You've done well," she whispered as she stepped forward to wrap her arms around him. "Now rest my love."

"_It's all up to you now Allen," _the Musician thought as he placed his head on Lyssa's shoulders and allowed her to embrace him. _"I'm sorry to leave you such a burden my son but I'm more sure than ever that you're the one who is destined to end this."_

"Stupid brat," Cross whispered as the Musician drew his last breath and then fell still. His blank gray eyes were still open, staring even though they could no longer see, and Cross reached out and closed them with the tips of his fingers.

A/N - it's the end of another chapter and Allen wasn't even in this one. And I killed the Fourteenth yet again. I swear, one of these days I'm going to write a story where he doesn't die. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. And sorry if Cross seemed OOC but he's a little different in this story. He and Nicholas, along with Maria and Lyssa, were working together but I'll disclose more about that later on in the story. Thanks for reading.


	8. Bad News

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - An extra special thanks to the following people for the reviews that they submitted for the last chapter: Edge End, icedragon54, xdevil-childx, Vincent Noir, Fanfic-Addict Yuki, Nadis Aten, PeanutAngel, firepelt00, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, Hesunohana, saint/sinner, PalkiaX, xTimcampi, Allen's Lover, and SSA Nicholas Reid. Each review brought a smile to my face and for that I thank you.

Chapter Eight - Bad News

After the Musician's death General Cross stuck around only long enough to give the young man a proper burial and then he set off once again. The grave of Nicholas Walker, the Musician and Fourteenth member of the Clan of Noah, was marked only by a marble cross with music notes engraved on it, so that no one would know to whom the grave belonged. However Cross planned to bring the Musician's son back to this place at some point so that the kid could pay his last respects.

Allen deserved that much at least, seeing as he would never have the opportunity to get to know his father, due to an incredible bout of stupidity on the part of the Musician.

Cross' thoughts flashed to the brown haired child with the huge gray eyes; the eyes that he had inherited from his father. Out of the group he'd had the least amount of interaction with the boy but Maria had absolutely adored him and had spoken of him often, in somewhat of a longing tone of voice.

Maria.

FLASHBACK

"_You seem to be in an unusually good mood today," Cross commented as he and Maria made their way to a small house that was located in a secluded clearing in a dense forest. Normally the blond haired Exorcist was tense when they were on their way to these meetings, since both she and General Cross would be in a tremendous amount of trouble if the Order ever found out about them, but today she seemed almost excited._

_And definitely not the slightest bit concerned about meeting with a Noah and an Exorcist who had left the Black Order to marry said Noah._

"_I guess I am a little," Maria said in her musical voice, turning to offer Cross a bright smile. She showed absolutely no signs of her usual fear over visiting Lyssa and her husband. "I know that the meeting is just as serious as always but we'll get to see the baby for the first time."_

_So that was it. The last letter that Lyssa had sent to Maria had been to inform her that she and Nicholas were now the proud parents of a baby boy, whom they had named Allen. The child had been born about a month early, and from what Lyssa had written was small, but other than that the child seemed to be completely normal. Or at least as normal as he could be given his bloodlines. _

_Cross knew that Lyssa loved the young man that she had married and that he, in turn, loved her but the General couldn't help but think that their marriage, as well as their decision to have a child, had been a huge mistake._

"_The child of an Exorcist and a Noah," Cross muttered as he and Maria followed the familiar path, shaking his head._

_Such a thing was completely unheard of._

"_Uh huh," Maria said, the smile still spread across her beautiful face. "This little boy joins together two worlds…"_

"_Two worlds who should never meet," Cross stated, thinking about the future that was in store for the little boy._

_The two fell silent after that and before long they arrived at the house where their meetings were always held. The house, as well as the surrounding land, was protected by a magical barrier but since Cross had helped to cast the spell that protected the house he could easily penetrate it's protection. Walking up to the front door the Exorcist General reached out and knocked twice, paused and then added another knock._

_A few minutes passed and then the door opened to reveal the Musician, a broad grin on his normally serious face. Nicholas was dressed casually for once, in black trousers and a white shirt, and he smirked as his gaze fell upon Cross. "You look a little stressed today Marian."_

"_You're one to talk brat," Cross said in an irritated tone of voice, practically shoving the Musician aside so that he could enter the house. "With those dark circles around your eyes you look like a raccoon."_

"_At least I have a kid and can use that as an excuse," Nicholas countered, his gray eyes narrowed as he gazed at the Exorcist. "So what's your explanation?"_

_Cross merely shrugged, as though to tell the young man that he didn't need to explain anything to him._

"_Pay no attention to him Nicholas," Maria said as she came to stand beside her husband. She gave Cross a warning look, one that he should know well after all the times that she'd given it to him. "And you, if you don't behave yourself then you're going to seriously regret it later."_

"_Guess she told you," Nicholas said, closing the door and then turning to face his guests. He opened his mouth, to ask Cross what Maria would do if he didn't listen, but he never got the chance._

"_Shut it brat," Cross ordered, his one visible red eye snapping fire. He'd like nothing more than to knock the smirk off that brat's face but, for all his confidence in his skills, Cross wasn't entirely sure if he actually stood a chance against the fallen Noah._

_He was, after all, the most talented among the ranks of the Clan of Noah. And second only to the Millennium Earl in power._

_It might not be a losing battle but Cross was fairly certain that the Musician would give him a run for his money should they ever fight._

_And although he often felt the urge to knock the brat around he knew that it would take something serious to make him act upon that feeling._

"_You guys are never going to change are you?" a new voice said softly, joining the conversation uninvited. All eyes focused on the doorway where a young woman was standing, a small bundle held in her arms._

"_Lyssa," Nicholas said, immediately going to his wife's side and turning concerned gray eyes in her direction. "I thought that you were resting."_

_Lyssa laughed as she playfully shoved her husband aside. "How could anyone rest with the two of you making so much noise? Honestly I wish you and Master Cross would just learn to get along. Then maybe we'd have a little peace and quiet around here."_

"_Hmph," was the only reply that Lyssa received. Cross was gazing at her with crossed arms, pretty much telling her that not even in her wildest dreams would he and that brat ever get along._

_Which of course caused Lyssa to chuckle softly to herself. After all, it wasn't as though she'd really expected anything different from the two men._

"_Lyssa!" Maria exclaimed, leaving her husband's side and rushing over to the spot where the young woman was standing. Her eyes betrayed her feelings of excitement as she gazed at the bundle that Lyssa held. "Let me see him! I'm dying to see your baby!"_

_A gentle smile appeared on Lyssa's face as she gazed down at the bundle that she held in her arms. Reaching out she gently pulled back the blanket to reveal a sleeping infant with a shock of dark brown hair._

"_Oh," Maria breathed as she gazed down at the peacefully sleeping child. As one would expect from a child born a month early the little boy that Lyssa held was tiny but his features were perfect. His hair was a slightly darker shade than Lyssa's own but it didn't match the mahogany of his father's either. But no matter which of his parents he resembled the fact remained that the child was absolutely gorgeous. "He's adorable! I always knew that the two of you would make beautiful babies."_

_Lyssa smiled while Nicholas blushed, seemingly embarrassed by the comment of the blond Exorcist._

"_Would you like to hold him?" Lyssa asked, offering the bundle to her friend._

"_Of course I would," Maria said, taking the infant carefully into her arms. Once she had him settled, with his head and neck carefully supported in the crook of her arm, Maria's gaze returned to the child and this time she saw that the little boy's eyes were open. "Oh, he has his father's eyes."_

"_He sure does," Lyssa said, the smile on her face growing wider. Personally she thought that her little boy looked just like his father and she was always so happy when others saw the similarities between the two of them. "Let's just hope that he didn't inherit his father's temperament."_

"_Hey now," Nicholas said, turning to glare at his wife. "You're the one with the temper, not me."_

"_Perhaps," Lyssa said, an evil grin spreading across her face. "But that's due more to Master Cross' training than anything else whereas your's is simply a character flaw."_

_For a moment it seemed as though the couple would fight but then, without notice, the two of them began to laugh. Maria joined in which left Cross as the only one who was still being serious._

_His gaze seemed to be locked on the child that Maria held in her arms so she stepped over to her husband so that he could get a better look at the infant. _

_The little boy had worked his right hand free from the blankets that surrounded him and was waving it happily in the air. This seemed like normal behavior for an infant but Maria was kind of surprised that he was only waving one arm. Normally children this young couldn't control only one arm at a time._

_Nicholas noticed the way that the two Exorcists were studying his son and, after glancing over at Lyssa and receiving a nod, he walked over and gently pulled the blankets away to reveal his child's left arm._

_Maria's eyes widened and she couldn't keep from gasping as she saw that the child's left arm was blood red and appeared to be at least partially paralyzed. She instantly felt sorry for the poor child. "Does it hurt him?"_

_Nicholas shook his head as he reached out and picked up the little boy's tiny hand, holding it up so that they could get a better look at it. "Doesn't seem to," he replied as their gazes simultaneously went to the tiny object embedded in Allen's left hand._

"_Innocence," Cross whispered as he lifted his head and allowed his gaze to lock onto the Musician's face._

"_That's right," Nicholas said, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "Seems my son takes after his mother more than me. That should ease some of your worries Marian."_

_Cross was somewhat taken aback by the words of the Noah but he didn't bother to deny the fact that the young man's words had a measure of truth to back them up. He had indeed been worried about this child ever since he had learned of Lyssa's pregnancy._

_And his worries weren't remedied simply by learning that the child possessed Innocence. The boy could still possess dormant Noah powers which could prove to be problematic in the future._

END FLASHBACK

In the three years that had passed since his birth Allen hadn't shown any signs of having inherited the powers of his father but Cross knew that it was still a distinct possibility. After all the Musician's powers hadn't surfaced until he was in his teens.

And from the information that he had gained from Nicholas this was true for the other Noah as well.

Would Lyssa's son turn out to be a member of the Clan of Noah? And more importantly, could Cross find a way to use those powers if he did?

Not that any of that was relevant at the moment. Allen was only a toddler and therefore completely useless in the war that was currently being fought against the Millennium Earl. Which was a real shame since, with the deaths of so many of the Noah, they were currently at a distinct advantage.

"Damn," Cross swore as he walked away from the Musician's final resting place. "I could end the war here and now if only I had a few fighters who could hold their own."

But of course the three people who would have best been able to help him were dead. Cross once again felt a stab of pain as he thought about Maria and his hand involuntarily closed around the small, coffin shaped charm that he was carrying in his pocket.

"I'm really sorry," he muttered as he continued to walk.

* * *

He'd made it a point to keep the information a secret from the Musician but the truth was that Cross knew exactly where to find the fallen Noah's son since he had been following Nicholas ever since he had openly defied the Millennium Earl. This knowledge would have concerned the man so Cross had decided to keep it to himself.

Anyone else would have been hurt by the fact that a comrade hadn't trusted them with the knowledge but Cross really couldn't care less.

"_He wanted to make certain that the kid was safe," _Cross thought to himself as he made his way down the street toward the house where the Musician's brother lived. _"Which I admire but that doesn't change the fact that I needed to know where the kid was hiding."_

Cross' thoughts had been focused on the kid while he had been making his way toward this town but, now that he was standing in front of the house, the General thought about the news that he was here to deliver.

He had to tell Mana that his brother was never coming back. Had to tell the man that his nephew was an orphan now.

"Doesn't matter," Cross muttered through clenched teeth, reaching out to knock on the door. Nothing could be done about what had happened and both Mana and Allen deserved to know the truth. He wouldn't allow them to continue to await the return of a dead man.

After all, he may not be a caring man but no one was that heartless.

Cross knocked on the door and then stepped back to wait. He heard the sounds of someone walking down the hallway and then, after a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a man who bore a distinct resemblance to Nicholas.

"Can I help you?" Mana Walker asked, gazing at Cross as though trying to figure out if he knew him from somewhere.

"Can I come in?" Cross asked, not wanting to deliver his news on the doorstep. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't should Mana decide not to let him in.

Mana hesitated for a moment, as though debating whether the man was a threat, and then he stepped aside. Normally he would never have allowed a stranger into his home, especially not with Allen there, but there was something about this man that Mana couldn't figure out. "Please come into the sitting room."

Cross nodded and followed Mana down the hall. He knew a great deal about the Musician's older brother since the Noah had spoken of him often and he had planned to use this knowledge to gain the man's trust if it proved necessary. But, for whatever reason, Mana had decided to trust him of his own accord.

The two men entered the sitting room and Cross chose a seat across from Mana, a serious expression on his face. "My name is Cross Marian and I've come here because there's something that I need to tell you."

Mana didn't like the vibe that he was picking up from this man and suddenly found himself wishing that he hadn't allowed him access to his home. "What exactly…"

But Mana's words were interrupted when a certain ball of energy bounded into the room at top speed, followed closely behind by the energetic little puppy that had become his constant companion. There was a smile on Allen's face and he seemed to be heading straight for Mana however the little boy stopped short when his gaze fell upon the red haired man who was sitting across from his uncle.

"It's okay Allen," Mana said, knowing that his nephew was wary of strangers and seeking to offer him comfort before he became too upset. "This is…"

"Marian!" the little boy exclaimed, rushing toward the red haired man.

"I told you not to call me that," Cross snapped, holding out his hand and preventing Allen from tackling him.

He hadn't heard it in so long but Cross found that it was still as annoying as ever to be called by that name by this little kid. Why the hell had the Musician taught his brat to use that name anyway? If only it were possible to kill someone twice.

"Wait a minute," Mana said, confused by this little exchange. "Allen, so you know this man?"

Allen nodded, still struggling against Cross' restraining hand. He wanted to tackle the man but was being prevented from getting close enough to do it. "He a friend of Mother and Father."

"Wait a second…" Mana turned his full attention back to the red haired man. "You're Nicholas' friend?"

"More like a business partner," Cross said, unwilling to admit to being friends with the annoying and arrogant Noah. And as for his relationship with Lyssa that was something that he didn't want to get into with someone he didn't know. Actually it wasn't something that he ever intended to speak of again.

Nor would he ever take on another apprentice. She had been the first and she would be the last, of that he vowed.

"So did Nicholas send you?" Mana asked, his curiosity aroused. He had been wary of this man but the knowledge that Allen knew the man as a friend served to reassure him.

Cross shook his head and then turned his attention to the little boy who was standing in front of him. "Hey Allen…"

He was going to make an attempt to get rid of the little boy but in that moment Timcanpy escaped from his pocket and flew into the air. A smile spread across the little boy's face and he immediately chased after the little golden ball.

Which wasn't what Cross had planned but served the purpose none the less.

"What was that?" Mana asked as he watched Allen race from the room in pursuit of some strange little winged creature.

"I'll explain later," Cross said, turning his attention back to Mana. "But for now there's something that I need to tell you and it's better if the kid doesn't hear it. You can tell him yourself later."

Mana's heart began to pound as he heard these words. He was beginning to get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The news that this man was delivering wasn't something that he wanted to hear, he instinctively knew it.

The fact that he didn't want to say it in front of Allen was proof enough as far as he was concerned.

"You're brother isn't going to be coming back," Cross said, attempting to ignore the devastated look that immediately appeared on Mana's face as he delivered the news. "He was killed yesterday."

"It was that group that he was with wasn't it?" Mana said in a hollow voice.

Cross nodded, knowing that the Musician's brother didn't know the full extent of what Nicholas had been involved in. The fallen Noah had made sure of that.

"Thank you for telling me," Mana said in a quiet voice, thinking about how he was going to deliver the news to Allen. The little boy had been asking about his father every so often and now Mana knew for certain that Nicholas wasn't coming back.

And it was something that he would have to tell Allen, even though it was going to hurt the little boy.

"Well I should probably collect my golem and then be on my way," Cross said, getting to his feet. "And you should be careful. Keep your guard up around anyone that you don't recognize, especially if they show an abnormal interest in the kid."

"Right," Mana said, renewing his vow to protect his brother's child and raise the little boy as though he were his own.

"Take care," Cross said as he got to his feet and left the room. He would retrieve Timcanpy and then leave this place. He had things that he had to do and after all his business here was complete.

A/N - and there's another chapter that Allen's virtually not in. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. And even though Nicholas is dead now the Musician does continue to make cameo appearances in this story.


	9. Grieving

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man nor any of it's wonderful characters.

A/N - I would once again like to thank all of the wonderful people who submitted reviews: icedragon54, mysticwolf1896, Allen's Lover, 14th Noah, Icetiger 13, xTimcampi, Detinee, Fret, LadyDrago88, xdevil-childx, Topsy Turvy, SSA Nicholas Reid, Fanfic-Addict Yuki, PeanutAngel, Vincent Noir, PalkiaX, crazy DGM fan, walkergirl, LyssiBug, and andy123! You guys are wonderful!

Chapter Nine - Grieving

Mana wasn't entirely sure how the man named Cross had managed to reclaim possession of that strange golden creature that he had brought along with him but what he did know was that Allen wasn't happy about losing his new toy. He had finally managed to catch the thing only to have it taken away almost immediately. And now he was pouting, standing in the middle of the floor with a frown on his face.

"Why don't you go and play with Star?" Mana suggested, in an attempt to divert the child's attention away from the toy that he had lost. His mind was still reeling from the news that he was never going to see his brother again and he needed some time to regain his composure. Which meant that he needed for Allen to be occupied. "He looks lonely."

Allen glanced over at the spot where the little puppy was idly chewing on a rubber ball and then bounded over to his furry little playmate. Reaching out the child snatched the ball away from the dog and the game was on.

Mana sighed as Allen dashed from the room, with the puppy in hot pursuit. Normally Allen's antics would be a source of amusement for him but not at the moment. He couldn't get the face of the boy's father out of his mind… the face of a man whom he was never going to see again.

His little brother.

Allen's father.

Nicholas.

"_How am I going to tell him?" _Mana thought, leaning forward and grasping his head with both of his hands. He knew that he would have to tell the little boy that his father wasn't going to come back but how did you convey that kind of news to a three year old? Was Allen even old enough to understand the concept of death? _"Nicholas… what am I supposed to do?"_

"_Keep moving forward…"_

As though in answer to the question that he had posed Mana heard these familiar words echo in his mind. They were the words that he had told to Nicholas when the boy had left home and now it was almost as though his brother were repeating them to him now.

"Keep moving forward," Mana repeated as he listened to the giggles of his nephew coming from the room next door. It wouldn't be easy but he would find a way to give Allen the bad news and then the two of them would move forward. Somehow they would make it.

"Mana!"

"What is it Allen?" Mana asked, wiping a stray tear from his eye as he gazed up just in time to see the little boy enter the room. Allen seemed to be favoring his right leg and Mana was instantly concerned by the child's slight limp.

"What happened Allen?" he asked as he got to his feet and quickly walked across the room toward the little boy. Mana covered the distance between them quickly and knelt down at the little boy's side.

"Um… I…" Allen paused and his gaze went to the ground.

"It's alright Allen," Mana said, picking up on the guilty expression on the child's face. Whatever had happened Allen seemed to think that he was going to get into trouble for it. And that was making him reluctant to admit to it. "Just tell me what happened."

"I chase the ball," Allen whispered, still refusing to look his uncle in the eye. "An' hit the table."

Picturing the room where Allen and Star had been playing Mana was able to piece together what must have happened. Allen must have hit the end table and knocked over the vase that was sitting on top of it. And now the child thought that he was going to get into trouble.

"Did the vase fall?" Mana asked, even though he was fairly certain that he already knew the answer.

Allen nodded, beginning to sniffle.

"It's alright Allen," Mana said quickly, wrapping his arms around the child and pulling him into a comforting embrace. Considering the news that he had been given earlier the loss of the vase seemed vastly unimportant right now. Hell, he hadn't even really liked the thing; he'd only kept it because it had belonged to his parents. "I'm not mad at you okay so there's no reason for you to cry."

Actually there really was a reason for the child to cry but it had nothing to do with the accident.

Wiping furiously at his eyes Allen finally gazed up at his uncle.

The moment that Mana locked gazes with his little nephew he immediately thought of the child's father. Their eyes were exactly the same and Mana had to choke back a sob as he once again thought of the brother that he had lost.

"I sorry," Allen whispered, reaching up and wiping a tear from Mana's face. "I di… didn' mean to. Don' cry Mana."

Reaching out Mana once again pulled the little boy into his embrace, hating himself for causing the child to worry. "It's not your fault Allen. You didn't make me cry." He embraced the little boy for a few moments longer, taking the opportunity to compose himself, and then he pulled away. "Does your leg hurt bad?"

Allen shook his head, seemingly still not convinced that Mana wasn't angry with him.

"Then come on," Mana said, offering the child his hand. "We should probably clean up the mess."

Allen nodded and grasped the hand that Mana was holding out to him. The child finally seemed convinced that he wasn't in trouble and had reverted back to his normal, cheerful self.

Mana on the other hand was anything but cheerful. He wanted nothing more than to sit down and cry his eyes out but with Allen around that course of action simply wasn't an option. Sure he had lost his brother but Allen had lost his father.

And so soon after having lost his mother.

"_How am I going to tell him?" _Mana once again found himself thinking as he and the child walked down the hall toward the parlor. This room wasn't really used, except when Allen and the dog chose to go in, and as he entered Mana's gaze went to the piano that was positioned against the far wall.

It had belonged to Nicholas and Mana could almost hear the music that he had played on it.

"_Focus," _Mana ordered himself as he knelt on the ground and began picking up the broken pieces of the vase. The little ball was still under the end table and Mana absently picked it up and handed it to Allen. "Try to be a little more careful with it next time okay Allen?"

Allen nodded as he took the ball in his tiny hand.

"You can go and play with Star if you want to," Mana said in a quiet voice. His emotions were threatening to overwhelm him once again and he would prefer that Allen not witness his meltdown.

"You gonna be okay?" Allen asked, his gaze focused on his uncle.

"Of course," Mana said, reaching out and gently tousling the boy's already unruly brown hair. "You go and play. I'll be just fine."

Allen looked doubtful but turned and ran off anyway, in search of the little dog that seemed to have abandoned him after his accident with the vase.

"Such a caring little boy," Mana thought to himself as he watched Allen rush off. His limp had all but disappeared, the injury obviously forgotten by the child. "And so much like his father."

* * *

Mana spent most of the day walking around in a daze, although he did manage to give Allen and the dog their evening meal granted it was a little later than they were accustomed to. Then, once the child had eaten, Mana sent him upstairs to get ready for bed.

He had been avoiding it all day but Mana knew that he would have to tell Allen about his father. Putting it off and allowing the child to think that Nicholas was coming back would only make it harder on him when he did find out.

And that would be cruel.

"_I have to tell him tonight," _Mana thought, taking a deep breath as he made his way up the stairs. Allen and the puppy had gone up about a half an hour ago but Mana knew that there wasn't really any danger in the two of them being asleep. Separately they were each a hand full but together…

Together they were beyond trouble and seemed to have a boundless supply of energy to draw upon.

"Allen," Mana called out in a quiet voice as he opened the door that led into the child's room. This room had belonged to Allen for awhile now and it had taken on the look of a typical child's room, with toys scattered on the floor.

Allen glanced up from his spot in the floor, where he had been wrestling with Star. A smile spread across his face and he jumped to his feet and ran over to Mana, wrapping his small arms around the man's legs.

"Ready for bed?" Mana asked the child, placing his hand on top of the little boy's head.

Allen shook his head and pulled away from his uncle. The brown haired child walked across the room, over to the little bookshelf, and picked up a book. Then he made his way back across the room and held the book that he had selected up for Mana. "Story."

"Alright," Mana said, realizing that this little boy had him completely wrapped around his finger. "But just one. Then I have something that I have to tell you."

" 'Kay Mana," Allen said, holding up his arms so that Mana could pick him up.

Leaning forward Mana scooped the little boy up into his arms and carried him over to the bed. Allen was already dressed in his pajamas and Mana carefully tucked him into bed, pulling the covers around him. Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and flipped open the little chapter book that Allen had brought for him to read.

One story, that was all the reprieve that he would have before giving Allen the news that would change his life forever.

The news that his father wasn't ever coming back for him.

The story didn't take nearly long enough to read and Mana found himself wishing that he hadn't limited the number of stories to one. If only there were some way to put off the inevitable but deep down Mana knew that putting it off wouldn't really make it any easier.

Taking a deep breath Mana put the book down on the bed and gazed at the child. "Allen there's something that I need to tell you."

"What?" Allen asked, his voice showing the fact that he was drowsy.

"It's about your father…"

His half closed eyes immediately popped open and Allen sat up, throwing off the covers. He crawled toward Mana with a hopeful expression in his large eyes. "He coming back? Tomorrow?"

The look of joy that had appeared on the child's face tore at Mana's heart, making it harder for him to face the news that he had to deliver, but he forced himself to continue. He had to do this and he had to do it now. It would only hurt Allen worse if he put it off. Swallowing around the lump that had grown in his throat Mana forced himself to speak the words that he knew were going to shatter Allen's world. "No Allen. I'm afraid that your father isn't coming back."

"Why?" Allen demanded, tears forming in his gray eyes.

Nicholas' eyes.

Not wanting to tell the child the entire truth of the situation, the truth that Nicholas had been murdered, Mana decided on a little white lie. It would be better for Allen in the long run if he didn't know the entire truth of his father. "There was an accident. Your father's up in heaven now little one. With your mother."

The tears began streaming down the little boy's face and his little hands were balled into fists. "I wanna go too."

Leaning forward Mana quickly pulled the little boy into his lap, wrapping his arms around the shaking little form. Allen buried his head in his uncle's shirt and sobbed, his little hands twisting at the fabric that he was grasping tightly.

"Shh," Mana whispered, tears beginning to flow from his own eyes. The child's words had shattered what little composure he'd managed to hold on to and for the first time since learning of his brother's death the man allowed himself to cry openly. "Your father would want you to be strong Allen. You'll see him again, I promise, but for now you need to keep moving forward. Make them proud of you little one."

"Forward…" Allen mumbled, his face still pressed against Mana's chest.

"That's right," Mana said, beginning to rock back and forth gently, his hand on the back of the little boy's head. The child was devastated by the news of his father's death but Mana knew that both of them could get past this grief.

He would keep moving forward, for the sake of the child that he was holding in his arms, and he would give Allen a reason to move forward as well.

Things seemed bleak at the moment but Mana was hopeful that his little nephew would smile again soon. He would do everything in his power to make that happen.

"_I promise Nicholas," _he thought to himself as he listened to Allen's breathing even out. The little boy had cried himself to sleep in his arms. _"I will… no wait, I already love him as though he were my own."_

"_Keep moving forward… never stop… until the day you die."_

"I will."

A/N - This chapter was so depressing, I almost made myself cry. Poor little Allen! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought, I so enjoy reading your comments about this story. On a side note the first chapter of Nicholas and Lyssa's story has been posted under the title 'The Path to Betrayal' for anyone who is interested. Thanks for everything. The Musician


	10. The Lullaby

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I'm so thrilled with all the reviews that I have gotten for this story and would once again like to extend a special thank you the ones who reviewed last chapter: PeanutAngel, BlackCross1808, rmiller92, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, Icetiger 13, Fanfic-AddictYuki, Vincent Noir, Allen's Lover, Edge End, firepelt00, addenza, LyssiBug, Tango Dancer, xdevil-childx, Destinee, Arceus the Creator, MoonlitMelody, fan girl 666, and crazy DGM fan. You guys are all awesome!

Chapter Ten - The Lullaby

After delivering the news that had changed his nephew's life forever Mana simply sat on the edge of Allen's bed and held the crying child. He was hurting as well but his pain seemed to dull in comparison to what this innocent child was going through and Mana wanted to offer him what comfort he could.

Even though deep down he fully realized that he was powerless in this situation. Grief would win out over everything, at least for a little while.

Rocking back and forth slowly, tears flowing from his own eyes, Mana rubbed soothing circles on the child's back. This was all the comfort that he could offer his nephew and he knew that it wasn't nearly enough. Nothing could take away the pain of losing a parent and Mana fully realized this fact. But it was the best that he could do. After awhile the sounds of the child crying grew fainter and then the little boy's breathing evened out.

Allen had cried himself to sleep.

"I'm sorry for what you've lost Allen," Mana whispered to the child, continuing to rock back and forth in a slow and gentle manner. "But I promise you that I'm going to do everything in my power to make up for what you were denied."

Mana held his nephew for a little while longer, comforting the child and using the child's presence to comfort himself, before gently tucking Allen into bed. He brushed back the hair that had fallen in front of the little boy's face and then, after hesitating briefly, leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Allen's forehead.

"I hope you have sweet dreams little one," he whispered as he got to his feet and turned to leave.

It was still fairly early but despite this fact Mana decided that he would go to bed as well. He felt completely drained due to the day's trauma and was hoping that a good night's rest would help him deal with what the next day inevitably had in store for him.

Instinctively he knew that it would be rough.

Leaving Allen's room Mana walked the short distance down the hall to his own room, which was bathed in darkness. Using his memory of the furniture's placement Mana made his way over to the table where the oil lamp was sitting and quickly lit it. Then, once the room had been bathed in a subdued light, Mana changed out of his clothes and into his pajamas.

The young man's heart was still aching, both due to the loss of his brother and the effect that loss seemed to have had on his nephew, but he found that he had no more tears to cry. He seemed to have exhausted them while he had been seeking to comfort Allen.

Shaking his head Mana crawled into bed and pulled the covers up over his head, wanting desperately to escape reality. All he wanted to do was to fall into a dreamless sleep, a sleep where he could find peace in nothingness.

Mana's wish seemed to be granted and for awhile he slept without dreaming. But then, after a few hours, he stirred slightly as the sound of someone playing the piano reached his ears. Rolling over in his bed, Mana half opened his eyes and there, standing in the middle of the room, was his brother.

"Nicholas…"

**_"It's all going to be okay Mana. I'm safe now so there's no reason for you to worry about me any longer. Just concentrate on taking care of Allen… and tell him that I'm sorry."_**

Mana opened his mouth to say something but it was as though the image of Nicholas had vanished. One minute he was standing there, as clear as day, but in the next instant Mana was alone once more.

And the music continued to play.

Wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand Mana wondered if he had dreamed the whole thing. Had the image of Nicholas merely been something conjured up by his grieving mind? But if that was the case then how could he explain away the music that still seemed to fill the house? It was soft and barely perceptible but Mana could swear that someone was playing the piano.

"_Maybe I'm losing it,"_ he thought to himself.

With a sigh Mana got to his feet, deciding to check on Allen before he went back to sleep. Grabbing his robe, which was hanging on the bed post, he shrugged it on before leaving his room. The young man made his way down the hall but when he gazed into Allen's room he could tell, by the moonlight that was illuminating the room, that Allen wasn't in his bed.

"Allen," Mana called out softly as he entered the room.

A quick search served to prove that Allen wasn't in his room and Mana felt his heart begin to beat faster. Where could the child have wandered off to at this time of night? Turning around quickly Mana dashed from the room and made his way downstairs.

The sound of piano music was louder down here and Mana stopped to listen. It was a haunting little tune that sounded oddly like a lullaby.

"It's coming from the parlor," Mana said, now convinced that he wasn't hallucinating. Making his way down the hallway Mana grasped the parlor door and pulled it open.

There, standing on the piano stool so that he could reach the keys, was little Allen. And it was the child who was playing the haunting little tune that had awakened Mana.

"I didn't know that he could play the piano," Mana muttered to himself as he stood in the doorway and listened to the boy play. Allen was singing softly but his voice was so soft that Mana had to strain his ears in order to hear the words.

It was a lullaby.

As he stood and listened to the song that his nephew was playing Mana felt an odd sense of peace envelope him. Nothing had changed really but for some reason hearing this song made Mana feel better.

It seemed to bring him a measure of peace.

When the last notes of the song had faded away Allen seemed to realize that he wasn't alone and he turned around and stared at Mana through wide gray eyes.

"Mana…" the little boy whispered.

"That was beautiful Allen," Mana said in a quiet voice as he walked over to the spot where Allen was still standing on the piano stool. "Who taught you that song?"

Allen seemed confused by the question and didn't appear to have an answer for it. The little boy merely shrugged and reached out to his uncle.

As he leaned forward and lifted the child into his arms Mana couldn't deny the fact that he was surprised. How could the little boy have learned such a song and yet not remember who it was that had taught it to him? It hadn't been a simple song after all and Mana found himself wondering if perhaps Allen was one of those rare prodigies who could recreate songs that they had heard other people play.

For his part Allen seemed completely unconcerned by the fact that he'd just been playing a complicated piece of music. As soon as he was settled in Mana's arms the little boy placed his head on his uncle's shoulder and, within minutes, was sound asleep.

"_Oh well," _Mana thought to himself as he turned away from the piano and began walking toward the door. In the grand scheme of things it didn't really matter where Allen had learned the song that he had been playing. All that mattered was that it seemed to have brought a measure of peace to both of them at a time when they desperately needed it.

Mana carried his exhausted little nephew back upstairs to his room and once again tucked him in.

As he straightened back up Mana stood for a moment simply gazing down at the sleeping form of his nephew. The little boy seemed to be at peace, at least while sleeping, and Mana was grateful for this fact. Seeing the little boy so upset earlier had made him feel incredibly guilty and he was glad that Allen seemed to have found a measure of peace.

Was it possible that the strange song he had been playing had something to do with this new found sense of peace?

* * *

Allen awoke early the next morning and the child slowly made his way over to the dresser that held his clothing. Mana had yet to make an appearance and Allen decided that he was old enough to get his own clothing.

He didn't need Mana's help.

Unfortunately he wasn't tall enough to reach the top drawer where Mana kept most of his clothes. The child paused for a moment, debating what to do next, and then an idea came to him. Grasping the handle of the bottom drawer Allen pulled with all of his might.

Then, once the bottom had been pulled out, the child used it to climb on so that he could open the next drawer. Continuing on in this manner Allen created steps with the dresser drawers and managed to climb up high enough to reach the drawer that actually contained his clothes.

The little boy reached into the drawer and pulled out some clothes and then slowly climbed back down. Pulling off his pajamas Allen quickly dressed in the clothes that he had pulled from the dresser; a pair of black pants, a white shirt and a gray vest.

Little fingers fought with the buttons of both the shirt and the vest but he eventually managed to get button both.

Allen still had some trouble putting his shoes on by himself so the child decided that he would just not wear them. A smile spread across the little boy's face as he left his bedroom and went in search of Mana.

The door of Mana's bedroom had been left slightly ajar and Allen pushed it open and stepped inside.

Judging by the sounds of the snores that were coming from the bed Mana was still sound asleep and Allen made his way over to the bed. Reaching up the little boy used the blankets to pull himself up and onto the bed. Then he simply knelt there for a few minutes, staring at his uncle's form.

"Mana sleeping," Allen muttered to himself.

He was hungry and really wanted breakfast but wasn't entirely sure how to awaken his uncle.

"Mana…"

The sleeping form on the bed didn't so much as twitch and Allen decided that he needed to try again.

"Mana… hungry…"

Still nothing.

Sighing the child gave up. It didn't seem as though he were going to be able to awaken his uncle but he was still hungry… and bored.

Getting to his feet Allen decided to amuse himself by jumping on the bed. Bending his knees the little boy leapt into the air as high as he could.

"Umph," Mana exclaimed as he felt the mattress suddenly sink from beneath him. Gasping due to the feeling that he was falling the man sat up and came face to face with a little brown haired boy.

"Morning Mana!" Allen called out, a smile spreading across his face. He seemed somewhat proud of himself for having successfully awakened his uncle.

"Good morning Allen," Mana said, wiping the sleep from his eyes and then running a hand through his hair. The little boy seemed to have recovered from the trauma of the night before.

It was almost as though none of it had happened.

"Get up," Allen prompted, reaching out to pull on Mana's arm.

"And why would I do that?" Mana asked as he offered the little boy a smile. His gaze swept over the child and he noticed that Allen was already dressed for the day. Which made Mana wonder exactly how the child had managed to reach his clothes.

"Breakfast!" Allen sang as he once again began to jump on the bed.

"Of course that's it," Mana said, shaking his head. The little boy was bouncing around on the mattress and Mana quickly reached out and grabbed the little boy by the ankle. With a little pull Allen was lying on his back on the bed, giggling madly.

Mana still felt drained and, with a sigh, he collapsed back on his pillow.

Which of course did not go over well with Allen. The little boy crawled up to the head of the bed and gazed down at Mana, a surprisingly stern expression on his young face. "Get up!"

"Alright, alright," Mana said, groaning as he sat up and then got to his feet. "You're definitely persistent, I'll give you that."

Allen didn't know what persistent meant but he didn't really care so long as Mana got out of bed and made breakfast.

At that moment the pair on the bed heard the sounds of yipping. Their gazes simultaneously went to the door and both watched as Star bounded into the room, barking madly.

"Not you too," Mana groaned as the dog came to stand beside the bed and gazed up at him with plaintive eyes. "I promise I'll make breakfast if the two of you will leave me alone long enough to get dressed."

Allen nodded and jumped from the bed. "C'mon Star!"

The boy bounded from the room, followed closely behind by the little dog. Mana sighed once again as his two young charges left the room.

He was a little overwhelmed by the wake up call that he had just received but perhaps it had been what he needed to get his mind off of his grief.

Recalling the scene from the night before, little Allen standing at the piano, Mana found that the odd sense of peace that the song had given him was still there. While he was still sad over the loss of his brother the grief was no longer crushing as it had been in the beginning.

Perhaps he had Allen to thank for this peace of mind. Or perhaps it had more to do with the apparition that had appeared to him in his dream.

Or maybe it was a combination of the two.

Whatever it was Mana was grateful for it but he quickly remembered that he didn't have time to dwell on it. He had a hungry child and his equally hungry dog downstairs and the two of them would be destroying his house if he didn't feed them soon.

"Time to face another day," he said to himself as he dressed. "Just keep moving forward."

A/N - and there's the end of another chapter. Depressing seems to be the ongoing theme at the moment but I promise that things will get happier. Eventually. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. I so enjoy reading your comments about this story.


	11. Cross' Decision

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N- Just want to thank my wonderful reviewers! mysticwolf1896, Tango Dancer, Allen's Lover, abandoned angel of fire, BlackCross1808, addenza, plasticfries, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, xdevil-childx, mog the 13 moogle, LyssiBug, fan girl 666, Fret, crazy DGM fan, Icetiger 13, firepelt00, Reanie Campal, xTimcampi, PeanutAngel, SSA Nicholas Reid, and Gracie Girl. You guys are awesome! Thank you SO much.

Chapter Eleven - Cross' Decision

It had almost been a fight but, after a little persuasion, Cross had finally managed to retrieve Timcanpy from the Musician's kid. And neither of them had been happy about it.

This fact had once again aroused the Exorcist General's suspicions concerning the kid. If what the Musician had told him had been the truth then the little golden creature would be drawn to the person who held the License of the Player.

The person who was destined to take the Musician's place.

And there could be no denying the fact that Timcanpy had became attached to Allen. Now this could simply be because Allen was the son of his former master and Tim remembered him but it could also be that Allen was the one in whom the Musician's powers now resided.

But would the young man really have done that to his own child?

"This doesn't make any sense," Cross growled as he left the inn where he had spent the night.

The Musician's brother had taken the news of his death about the way that Cross had expected but he was fairly certain that the man wouldn't receive a visit from the Millennium Earl. After all, while Mana was grieving for his brother, he also had a very good reason to go on living. His grief wasn't the kind of soul deep, desperate grief that summoned forth the Earl.

Because of Allen the Musician's brother would be safe, of that Cross was certain.

And yet he had still remained in this town as though held here by some unseen force. What was it that was keeping him in this town when he should be tracking down that bastard the Millennium Earl?

After all the Clan of Noah was down to one member so the Earl was at a distinct disadvantage. So why was it that Cross couldn't pull himself away from this town?

What was keeping him here when he knew that he should be out searching for the Earl and the remaining Noah?

"It's that brat," Cross decided as he made his way down the street toward the only bar that he'd been able to find in this town. He needed a drink in the worst kind of way.

There was something strange about the Musician's brat but Cross couldn't get a handle on exactly what it was. And that was keeping him from going on his way and focusing on the war that was still being waged, even though he had lost most of his colleagues.

Most…

Okay, so he had lost everyone who actually stood a chance of defeating the Earl and his forces. It was true that he was technically siding with the Black Order but they were too disorganized to actually stand a chance of winning.

He was merely there because he benefited from their intel on occasion and because occasionally he found a worthy fighter. Like Maria… and Lyssa.

Those two women had been the best fighters in the Black Order, aside from himself of course, and their deaths had been a real blow to their forces.

"And to your heart," a musical voice seemed to echo in the wind. "Although you're too tough to admit it."

"That isn't fair," Cross muttered to himself as he walked into the bar and ordered a drink. He was constantly haunted by the ghosts of his past but at least, when he drank, they became quieter.

Maria…

FLASHBACK

"_You're always so excited when we go for these meetings now," Cross commented as he and Maria once again made their way toward the little house where Lyssa and her son lived. "Is that brat really that entertaining?"_

"_You shouldn't talk about little Allen like that," Maria said, a soft smile appearing on her face as she thought about the brown haired child. She had grown rather attached to Lyssa's little boy and loved it when they had the opportunity to visit, even though it put their lives in danger to do so._

_And would greatly anger the Black Order higher ups should they ever find out about it. After all, Lyssa had deserted her post as an Exorcist when she and Nicholas married and would be considered a traitor in the eyes of her former comrades._

_Cross merely shrugged his shoulders. Personally he didn't get the appeal of the kid; he hated kids._

_Always had._

_The two continued on in silence after that, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts. The war was raging on and both knew that their chances of victory hinged on the bond that they had formed with the Fallen Noah but only Cross seemed preoccupied by this thought._

_Maria at least still seemed able to focus on life's small pleasures._

_Which Cross envied to a small degree, although he would never admit that fact to his wife._

_When Cross and Maria arrived at the house the Exorcist General walked up to the front door and gave the customary knock. This signal had been decided upon when these meetings had began and was known only to the four who were members of this very small and rather unusual army. A few moments passed and then the door opened to reveal Lyssa. And, standing at her side and clutching her skirts with both tiny hands, was Allen. The little boy had began to walk recently and could usually be found clinging to his mother's skirts, both for physical and emotional support._

"_Welcome," Lyssa said, offering her friends a smile. "Nicholas is in the parlor."_

_Cross nodded as he stepped inside the house and immediately went in search of the Noah. He had a few things that he needed to discuss with the brat._

"_Looks like we're on our own again," Lyssa said as she closed the door and then turned to Maria. "While the big tough men talk about war and things that we women simply wouldn't understand."_

_Maria covered her hand with her mouth and chuckled softly. "Looks like."_

"_Allen," Lyssa said, her gaze going to the little boy who was standing at her side and clutching her skirts. "Promise me that you won't grow up to be like either one of them alright?"_

_Allen nodded. _

"_Well come on," Lyssa said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "I suppose we should go and force our company on them. After all, we're fighting this war as well."_

_Maria nodded and offered Allen her hand. A smile spread across his face as the little boy toddled over to the blond Exorcist but, instead of taking the hand that she was offering to him, the little boy held up his arms, wanting her to pick him up. And, to ensure that she was completely unable to refuse him, Allen gazed up at her with large, pleading gray eyes. Puppy-dog eyes._

_Unable to resist the little boy's charm Maria leaned forward and scooped the child up into her arms. She playfully tossed him into the air and Allen squealed in delight._

_Lyssa smiled as she led the way down the hall to the parlor. Nicholas and Cross were sitting across from one another, each looking annoyed._

"_Oh great," Lyssa muttered as she, Maria and Allen joined them. "What are the two of you fighting about now?"_

"_Nothing," Nicholas muttered._

"_Sure," Lyssa said, not convinced._

_For her part Maria walked over to the sofa where her husband was seated, placing Allen in her lap. The little boy wrapped his arms around her neck and Maria practically melted. With a soft smile on her face the blond woman turned to Cross. "Honey, we should get one of these."_

_Cross' eyes widened comically, as though horrified by the very thought, causing Nicholas to spit the coffee that he had been sipping across the room._

"_I'm not cleaning that up I hope you know," Lyssa said, shaking her head in the direction of her husband._

_No one seemed to be paying any attention to Lyssa, which didn't really surprise her all that much._

"_Where the hell did that come from?" the red haired Exorcist demanded, turning to gaze at his wife with a questioning eye._

_Maria shrugged._

_Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket Nicholas wiped at his mouth before staring at Cross, a horrified expression in his gray eyes._

_Cross noticed the look in the Musician's eyes and, much like this entire situation, it irritated him to no end. "What the hell is that look about brat?"_

"_I was just imagining you… with a kid…" This thought made the Musician visibly shudder. "Damn that's a scary thought."_

"_I'm going to kill you later," Cross threatened through gritted teeth._

"_Sure," Nicholas said, not even sounding remotely concerned about the threat to his life. "Like I haven't heard that one before."_

END FLASHBACK

This unwanted memory caused yet another stab of guilt. He had chosen not to notice it at the time but now Cross knew that Maria had been serious about wanting a child of her own.

But the Musician had been right; him with a kid really was a scary thought.

"I hate kids," the red haired man maintained, grabbing his glass and downing it's contents in one swallow. The liquid burned as it ran down his throat but Cross didn't mind.

He ordered another drink, willing his thoughts not to return to the past that he desperately wished he could change.

But of course if he wasn't dwelling on the past then Cross was forced to think about the present and, inevitably, the future. There was definitely something not normal about the Musician's kid and in that moment Cross made the decision to keep an eye on the kid. He knew that he couldn't hang around this town forever but he could return from time to time to check up on the brat.

And he could send Timcanpy to spy on him whenever the need arose.

"I'm going to find out what's going on with that kid," Cross growled as he grabbed his glass and once again drained the contents in one swallow. "Because I know that something is definitely off."

Nicholas' face appeared in Cross' mind's eye and, as he so often had in life, he was wearing that arrogant smirk on his face.

"Stupid brat…"

As though aware of the fact that Cross was speaking ill of his former master Timcanpy crashed into his head, hard.

"Damn it!" Cross exclaimed, batting at the annoying little creature. Tim had been irritated ever since they had left Mana's house and was beginning to get on Cross' nerves.

Even more so than usual.

Once again Cross felt his anger flare up over the fact that the Musician had blackmailed him into keeping the creature. He really had been a manipulative little brat.

And smart enough to get away with it.

They had stood a real chance in the war before the stupid Noah brat had gone suicidal and gotten himself killed. Now Cross was the only one left and for this he was angry.

In fact recent events had put him into a perpetually bad mood.

"I really hate people," the man growled as he ordered yet another drink. His gaze shifted as he watched a woman walk past and Cross quickly changed his mind. "Okay… most people."

For some he could make an exception.

A/N- and there's the end of yet another chapter that Allen's not in, unless you count the flashback. Little Allen! How cute! Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	12. His Child, My Child

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Early Update! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A/N- I would once again like to extend my thanks to my wonderful reviewers! Roy/Riza4eva, Arceus the Creator, xTimcampi, Edge End, abandoned-angel-of-fire, Icetiger 13, Tango Dancer, Fanfic-AddictYuki, xdevil-childx, Fretful, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, fan girl 666, MoonlitMelody, Allen's Lover, PeanutAngel, LyssiBug, cranberryben, Vincent Noir, crazy DGM fan, SSA Nicholas Reid, Scout, and baccano-lover. You guys are awesome!

Chapter Twelve - His Child, My Child

Nearly a month had passed since the red haired stranger had delivered the news of Nicholas' death and during this time Mana had noticed that Allen had reverted to the happy child that he'd been when he first arrived. Allen spent his days playing with either Mana, Star or the various toys that Mana had purchased for his amusement. The pain caused by the loss of his father seemed to have diminished in this span of time and Mana had to admit that he had mixed feelings about the change in his nephew.

On the one hand he was glad that Allen was able to go on with life without the burden of grief but on the other hand he feared that the little boy may be forgetting about the father who had obviously loved him more than anything.

"_He's only three," _Mana thought to himself as he went about picking up the toys that lay strewn about the child's bedroom. More and more his thoughts had been burdened by how much his nephew would remember about his father. _"And I can't help but wonder exactly how much he'll remember about Nicholas when he gets older."_

It hurt him to think that Allen might completely forget about the father who had sacrificed so much for him.

"Mana!" Allen called out happily as he came running into the room, Star in hot pursuit. The boy drew up short as his searching gaze fell upon his uncle and, after a brief pause, the child set about helping Mana to pick up the toys.

The little brown haired boy soon had his arms filled with the building blocks that had been scattered near his bed and he made his way slowly across the room toward his toy chest.

This had been a necessary addition to the furnishings of the room since Allen seemed to have acquired a large number of toys. And those toys seemed to always find themselves deposited in the middle of the floor.

Mana smiled as he watched Allen struggle to open the newly acquired toy chest with his little arms filled with building blocks. He could tell that the little boy was growing frustrated with the box's lack of cooperation but Mana didn't step in to help, wanting to find out what his nephew would do.

After making a couple of fruitless attempts to open the toy chest with his elbow, and dropping a couple of blocks in the process, Allen paused for a moment. He glared at the toy chest for a moment, as though the thought of kicking it was running through his mind. Then, balancing on his left foot, the child used his right foot to open the toy chest. A smile spread across his face as Allen deposited the blocks in the toy chest and then turned toward Mana.

"Such a little clown," Mana said, shaking his head and chuckling softly to himself. Truth be told he was more than a little impressed with the little boy's ingenuity, as well as his determination. Once Allen set his mind to something he wouldn't stop until he was successful.

Such determination was a rare trait in adults so it was truly amazing to see it in a child as young as Allen.

Grinning widely Allen continued to pick up the scattered toys.

"_I wish you were here to see him Nicky," _Mana thought to himself as he stepped back and allowed Allen to finish picking up the toys by himself. The loss of his brother still caused an ache in his heart every time that he thought about Nicholas but Mana had the strength to go on and he knew that it was because of the little brown haired boy.

The child whom he had grown to view as more than simply his nephew.

Allen was his child now.

Mana was jarred from his thoughts by the sound of a low growl. His gaze shifted toward the sound and he saw that Allen was wrestling with Star, attempting to regain possession of a blue rubber ball with yellow stars.

The ball was one of Allen's favorite toys and by the look in the boy's eyes Mana could tell that he didn't appreciate the fact that the dog had taken possession of it.

"Give it Star!" the little boy demanded, a disgruntled expression in his gray eyes as he gazed at the playful little puppy.

The little dog seemed to think that Allen was trying to play a game with him and leapt to his feet, his little stump of a tail wagging furiously. Allen made a move to grab the ball but the puppy quickly dashed out of his reach, the ball clenched in his teeth.

Then, once Star was a few feet away from his master, he crouched low to the ground and gazed at Allen. It seemed that the puppy was still intent to play a game that Allen had no interest in. And this fact was only increasing Allen's anger over the situation.

"Star!"

"Allen," Mana said, gaining the child's attention. The little boy turned to face his uncle although he still looked irritated over the situation.

"Leave him alone and he'll drop it," Mana said, holding out his hand to the child. "He thinks you're playing a game and if you just ignore him then it won't be fun any more."

Allen grumbled complaints under his breath but none the less walked over to the spot where his uncle was standing. Mana wrapped his arm around Allen's little shoulders and pulled him into a one armed embrace.

For his part Star seemed confused that his playmate had suddenly abandoned him in the middle of a game. The little terrier tilted his head to one side quizzically, dropped the ball and gave a little yip, as though to ask what was up.

"See?" Mana said, releasing his nephew and walking across the room. Leaning forward he picked up the little ball and wiped it on his shirt before tossing it to Allen.

Star leapt for the ball as it soared through the air but missed. Allen also jumped for the ball and he managed to catch it but lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. Seizing upon the opportunity Star launched himself forward and began licking Allen's face.

Mana expected for the little boy to yell at the dog but all Allen did was roll around on the ground and laugh.

"We should take up performing," Mana said, chuckling softly to himself at the thought. "With these two I could make a fortune."

Allen seemed to think that Mana was laughing at him and, with a disgruntled little noise, threw the blue ball at the man's head. His aim was spot on and the child watched as the little rubber ball collided with his uncle's head.

"Umph," Mana said, catching the ball before it hit the floor and fell back into the clutches of the little dog. That wasn't a fight that he wished to repeat. Ball in hand the man turned his attention back to his nephew, who still looked disgruntled. "Now Allen, that wasn't very nice was it?"

"No," Allen said, his gray eyed gaze focused on his uncle.

"So are you sorry that you did it?"

The little boy thought about the question for a couple of seconds before shaking his head. "No."

"Well," Mana said, shaking his head at the sheer audacity of the child. "At least you're honest." Reaching up to run a hand through his hair the man thought to himself, _"Just like his father."_

Despite the fact that his nephew had thrown a ball at his head Mana couldn't help the laughter that burst forth. Placing his right hand over his face Mana allowed himself the pleasure of laughing and, for his part, Allen once again thought that his uncle was laughing at him. Narrowing his eyes the child rushed forward.

Mana saw the impending attack and, as soon as the child reached him, he scooped the little boy up into his arms and gave him a little toss. All animosity forgotten Allen squealed in delight as he soared into the air before coming to rest safely in his uncle's arms.

"You really are a little clown," Mana told the little boy as he held him close.

"Am not," Allen said, pouting slightly.

Chuckling softly to himself Mana placed the little boy back down on his own two feet and then walked over to the toy chest. Curious about what his uncle was doing Allen followed and watched as Mana placed the little blue ball in the toy chest and then began rummaging through the box's contents.

"Whatcha lookin' for?" the little boy asked, his head tilted sideways in a very good imitation of the quizzical look that the dog often displayed.

"You'll see," Mana said as he continued to search through the toys.

It took a couple of minutes of searching but Mana finally succeeded in finding what he had been searching for. Straightening up he displayed three little rubber balls, nearly identical to the blue one that Allen had thrown at him. The only difference was the fact that these three balls were solid colors; one red, one green and one yellow.

"Whatcha gon' do wit those?" Allen asked, gazing at the balls that Mana held in his hand.

As though in answer to the boy's question Mana tossed the balls into the air and effortlessly began to juggle them. This was one of those completely useless skills that he had picked up in his childhood. Actually it had been a contest between himself and his brother where he had first picked up the skill. After the two brothers had went to the circus Nicholas bet that he could learn to juggle faster than Mana. And of course Mana had taken the bet since that was before he learned not to bet against his brother.

Because Nicholas never lost.

So, not surprisingly, Nicholas won the bet in the end but Mana had been close to besting his little brother for once.

"Wow!"

The exclamation from his nephew served to bring Mana's thoughts back to the present and he gazed down at the little boy. Allen's gray eyes were wide and his gaze was locked onto the colorful little balls that were flying through the air.

A smile spread across his face as Mana knelt down so that he was at eye level with the boy. "Would you like to learn?"

"Yea!" Allen exclaimed, seemingly excited about the prospect.

"Alright then." Effortlessly Mana caught each of the little balls and then offered two of them to Allen. "We'll start you out with two of them since it's easier to learn that way."

And thus the lessons began. Allen seemed to genuinely enjoy learning to juggle and Mana was pleased with his progress. In no time the child could juggle two of the balls although he did occasionally drop them.

And when this happened Star was all to happy to chase them down.

The first time this happened Mana braced himself for the outburst to come however Allen surprised him once again. Instead of getting angry at the puppy Allen took the opportunity to teach Star to fetch.

And just as with the child the puppy learned exceptionally fast. In no time Allen had Star retrieving the balls and then dropping them at his feet.

"_Well," _Mana thought to himself as he watched the child and the puppy playing. _"If all else fails we can have an exciting career as circus performers."_

A smile spread across the man's face as his attention was once again focused on his nephew and he saw that the little boy was attempting to juggle with three balls instead of two. "Let's see how this goes."

Allen tossed the little balls up into the air but unfortunately the child failed to get the rhythm and as a result the little balls fell from the air, each one striking the child on the top of the head. The boy looked irritated for the briefest of moments but then merely gathered up the balls and tried again.

"_That's a good lad," _Mana thought to himself as he watched the little boy try again to juggle the three brightly colored balls. _"Just keep moving forward Allen."_

A/N- more Allen/Mana bonding. And a little foreshadowing of things to come. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter. And thanks to everyone who is reading and enjoys this story. You're support is greatly appreciated.


	13. Fighting Against the Odds

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

**Special update in honor of PeanutAngel! Happy Birthday and I hope that you enjoy!**

Thanks once again to my wonderful reviewers! BlackCross1808, PeanutAngel, Broken Flavors, Allen's Lover, crazy DGM fan, mysticwolf1896, Icetiger 13, abandoned-angel-of-fire, xdevil-childx, fan girl 666, LyssiBug, 14th Noah, SSA Nicholas Reid, Rikulaw, Skippy, Arceus the Creator, Dragi, fanciful, MoonlitMelody and Sarah.

Chapter Thirteen - Fighting Against the Odds

General Cross was still somewhat irritated over the needless death of the Musician but, after spying on the Fourteenth's kid for a few days, the Exorcist managed to force himself into action. Too much time had already been wasted and the red haired Exorcist knew that time was of the essence now. Due to the deaths of the eleven members of the Clan of Noah, the Millennium Earl and the one remaining Noah were at a distinct disadvantage. And despite knowing that the odds were still against him Cross made the decision to fight the Earl.

After all he wasn't likely to get another opportunity like this one.

Unfortunately he didn't have any real leads on the location of the Millennium Earl and the man seemed to have dropped off the map after the betrayal of the Fourteenth.

This proved to be an annoyance to Cross but the General knew that there wasn't really anything that he could do about it. He would simply have to continue to search for the man and hope that their paths crossed before the Earl managed to rebuild his army.

* * *

After a couple of weeks of pointless wandering Cross received reports of a town that had supposedly been abandoned by it's inhabitants. The people had supposedly just vanished one day, which seemed suspicious to the Exorcists.

Cross was the one closest to the town so he was given the assignment to check it out. And for once the general decided not to ignore his orders.

If the Musician had been around he more than likely would have had a stroke when learning of this occurrence.

He needed something to distract him from his growing irritation after all and a good fight might serve that purpose.

Stupid Musician going and getting himself killed. What would have really made Cross happy would have been to knock that smug little brat around but unfortunately that wasn't possible.

So he would have to settle for the next best thing and go after some Akuma.

"I still can't believe that stupid brat went and got himself killed," Cross grumbled as he traveled through a deserted town. The little golden creature named Timcanpy was fluttering along beside his head, his constant companion.

If only the brat had ran after he murdered his siblings then the two of them would have stood a real chance of defeating the Earl. But of course, blinded by rage and loss, the Musician hadn't been able to see past his desire for vengeance.

"Stupid brat," Cross repeated, this time speaking out loud.

Reports had came in from the Black Order about this strange town and Cross thought it likely that the Earl's henchmen had something to do with it's lack of inhabitants.

And this suspicion was proven to be true as the Exorcist watched a large group of people emerge from the shadows. They appeared normal enough, at first glance, but years of fighting against the Akuma had taught Cross well how to spot those controlled by the Earl and he wasn't fooled.

And, judging by the way Timcanpy began quickly flapping his wings, he wasn't fooled either.

"Well I was looking for the Earl," Cross said, a smirk appearing on his face as he watched the group of Akuma come to surround him. "But maybe if I kill enough of his Akuma, he'll find me and save me some time and effort."

Cross didn't really know if this was a valid plan but found that he didn't really care. Occasionally a man needed to blow off some steam and, after everything that had happened, this was turning out to be one of those times.

A sinister gleam appeared in his red eye as Cross pulled back the edge of his Exorcist's coat to reveal a gleaming silver revolver. The Exorcist General grabbed the firearm and quickly drew it from the holster that he wore at his side.

The assembled Akuma began to laugh, as though they thought that Cross was just some ordinary human about to shoot them with a gun.

"Judgment!"

Pulling the trigger in rapid succession Cross made short work of the Akuma who had sought to end his life without really knowing who it was that they were facing. With a sigh Cross holstered Judgment, his irritation not appeased by this poor excuse for a battle.

It seemed as though he wasn't likely to get any real stress relief until he found the Millennium Earl.

"My but you certainly are a nuisance…"

As though in answer to Cross' wish the Millennium Earl appeared overhead, suspended in mid air with the enchanted umbrella that he was so often seen with.

"And you certainly are a fat ass," Cross commented as the Millennium Earl came to rest on the ground a few yards away from the spot where he was standing. He had holstered Judgment after defeating the group of pathetic Akuma but this didn't really concern General Cross.

He had so much practice with the Anti- Akuma firearm that he could draw it in a split second if need be.

And the Earl didn't really seem to be in any great hurry to attack. He merely stood and stared at the red haired Exorcist, his expression impossible to read. The Musician had often commented about the Earl's perpetual smile but Cross hadn't had a lot of interaction with the man. Not that he really cared if the fat ass was constantly grinning.

For his part the Earl didn't really seem concerned about the insult that the Exorcist had paid him. He merely stood and gazed at the man, his gaze taking in Cross' appearance.

That is until his gaze fell upon Timcanpy.

"So you were involved with that disobedient brat of mine I see," the Earl said, taking on a sinister appearance. He was still furious about the betrayal of the Fourteenth Noah and anyone found to be involved was as good as dead as far as he was concerned.

The fact that this Exorcist possessed the Musician's golem was as good as a death warrant.

"Unfortunately," Cross said, swiping at the golden creature who was hovering next to his head. As always Timcanpy dodged the attack and, for the first time, clamped down on the flesh of Cross' ear. "You damn little…"

Sensing danger Timcanpy hovered out of the Exorcist's reach.

"It is indeed unfortunate," the Earl muttered, his gaze locked onto Cross. A dark aura seemed to grow around the Earl, which caused Cross to raise his guard somewhat.

While he wasn't afraid of the Millennium Earl only a fool would take his threat lightly and Cross was anything but a fool.

Brushing the corner of his coat aside Cross once again placed his hand on the butt of Judgment. He quickly pulled the firearm from it's holster and felt the familiar warmth spreading from his fingertips to the rest of his body. He could tell that his Innocence was more than ready to fight against the Earl.

"For what you and that woman did to the Musician you will pay Exorcist…"

Cross' heart skipped a beat as he heard the Earl referring to Lyssa. Of course he had already known that the Earl was responsible for her death but for some reason hearing those words made it more real somehow. The only apprentice that he'd ever accepted was dead because of this man.

"You fat bastard!" Cross growled, his voice low and deadly.

The smile never left the Earl's face as he watched the Exorcist General raise his Anti-Akuma firearm and take aim. This man was no threat to him.

The smile only added to Cross' anger over the situation and he pulled the trigger of Judgment five times, in rapid succession. The bullets exploded from the barrel of the gun and flew toward the Earl, who casually dodged the attack.

A sneer appeared on the Exorcist General's face as he watched the Earl dodge the attack as though it were nothing. His arrogance would prove to be the end of him.

"My bullets never miss," Cross said as he watched the bullets change course in mid air and soar toward the Millennium Earl once again.

"Is that so?" the Earl asked, gazing over his shoulder at the bullets that were once again heading toward him. The leader of the war against the Exorcists pulled a huge sword out of nowhere and used it to deflect the bullets.

"That won't…" Cross stopped mid sentence as he watched the bullets disintegrate. This was the first time that he had encountered an enemy who could actually destroy the bullets fired from Judgment.

Anyone else would most likely give up in this scenario but Cross knew that he was far from defeated. The Millennium Earl may have unleashed a new weapon against him but Cross was convinced that he could win the fight.

Holding up his firearm the red haired man once again prepared to attack.

He was forced to halt his attack however as a strange door appeared out of nowhere. Cross watched, a confused expression on his face, as the door opened and a young girl popped out.

"Lord Millennium!" the girl called out, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she'd just interrupted a battle. The girl leapt onto the Earl's back and whispered something into his ear.

The Earl listened to the words of the young girl and then turned back to his opponent. "I'm so sorry Exorcist but it seems as though I'm going to have to postpone our little battle. I hope you don't mind."

"As a matter of fact I do," Cross said, holding up Judgment.

Cross was prepared to launch another volley of bullets in the Earl's direction but unfortunately the man stepped through the door, the young girl still hanging onto his shoulder.

The door closed behind them and disappeared into thin air.

"Damn it!" Cross swore foully as he lowered his weapon and gazed at the spot where the Earl had been standing mere seconds before.

Cross was irritated over the fact that the Earl had left in the middle of their fight but knew that there wasn't anything that could be done about it. He would simply have to continue to destroy the Akuma and hope that the Earl would pick another fight with him.

"You will die you fat bastard," the Exorcist General growled under his breath as he turned away from the battlefield and began walking away.

He felt a familiar weight settle on top of his hat but didn't pay any attention to the golden creature. Cross had become accustomed to Timcanpy's presence and chose to ignore him most of the time.

"_Maybe I should go and check on the brat," _Cross thought to himself as he walked. He was now certain that there was something unusual about the Musician's kid and was determined to find out exactly what it was.

At least that was the story that he was sticking with.

A/N- I hate fight scenes. The one between Cross and the Earl isn't great, or long, but I'm hoping that future fight scenes will be better. Thanks once again to everyone who is reading and enjoys this story. You guys make my work worthwhile.


	14. And the Music Plays On

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I would once again like to thank all my wonderful reviewers: mysticwolf1896, abandoned-angel-of-fire, xdevil-childx, Fanfic-AddictYuki, MoonlitMeody, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, fan girl 666, PeanutAngel, LyssiBug, Allen's Lover, SSA Nicholas Reid, Vincent Noir, xTincampi, and fanciful. You guys are all wonderful.

Chapter Fourteen - And the Music Plays On

Mana was in the sitting room, casually thumbing through a long forgotten photo album, when he came across a set of pictures of himself and Nicholas when they were children. A light glistened in Mana's eyes as he stared at the long forgotten photos, recalling the day that each of them had been taken. He hadn't realized it but the resemblance between Allen and Nicholas really was uncanny. The little boy was the spitting image of his father when he'd been younger.

"I should show him these pictures," Mana thought, a smile spreading across his face. So often the thought of Nicholas brought him pain but in this moment, recalling their childhood days and the happiness that they had shared, Mana could think about his brother with a smile.

Just like Allen, Nicholas had been mischievous in his youth.

Deciding that he definitely needed to show these pictures to the little boy Mana placed the album on the end table and got to his feet. He had left Allen and Star playing upstairs in Allen's bedroom so that's where he went in search of the child.

Taking the steps two at a time, excited about sharing this memory with Allen, Mana soon arrived at his nephew's bedroom. The door was closed so Mana knocked a couple of times before pulling it open.

"Hey Allen, I have something to…"

Mana's voice trailed off as he entered the child's room only to find it empty, save for Star who was curled up in the corner asleep. This was strange, since this was where he had left Allen and Star playing less than an hour ago. Now only the dog remained.

There was absolutely no sign of the little boy anywhere.

"Where in the world could he have gone?" Mana asked himself as he turned and walked away from the room. He searched the upstairs thoroughly but found no sign of Allen, which was strange.

"How in the world did he get past me?" Mana wondered as he slowly descended the stairs. He had been in the sitting room for the past hour, looking through the photo album, and he hadn't heard so much as a sound the entire time.

And since Allen was far from silent the man had assumed that the boy was upstairs playing.

"Damn it. That's what I get for assuming anything when it comes to him. Guess I should look for him."

Having already searched the upstairs rooms this only left those on the first floor of the house. With a sigh Mana began his search but even this proved to be fruitless.

The boy was nowhere to be found inside the house and now Mana was almost frantic with worry.

At first it had just seemed that Allen was hiding somewhere but now, having failed to find any trace of the child, Mana was forced to think that something else had happened.

"Allen!" he called out, hoping that maybe he had just overlooked the child in his haste to search.

He kept waiting for the child to appear out of nowhere, as he so often did, with that wide grin on his face.

Unfortunately that's not what happened.

There was no answer from the child and as a result Mana was forced to conclude that Allen was nowhere in the house. Fighting hard to contain the tremors that were racking his body Mana ran to the door and rushed outside, completely ignoring the fact that he didn't have his coat and that it was cold out. Snow was gently falling, the first snowfall of the year as a matter of fact, and Mana hoped that this would aid in his search.

Surely if Allen had left the house then he would be able to track the boy using his footprints in the snow.

This was Mana's first thought at least but it soon became obvious to the man that the snow was only just beginning to fall. Which meant that he wouldn't be able to follow a set of prints to find his child.

"Allen!"

The sound of Mana's voice echoed on the wind, sounding eerie even to him. Dusk was beginning to fall, and with it the temperature, and Mana knew that if Allen were indeed out here then he needed to find the child quickly.

If not then there was a very real possibility that the little boy would freeze to death before he was discovered.

"Allen! Allen! Where are you?"

The only answer to these shouts were the words being carried back to him in the wind that was beginning to grow in strength.

"This can't be happening," Mana moaned to himself, feeling his heart begin to race. He was panicking, which he knew would only hinder his search for the child, and yet he found that he could do nothing to quell his fears. "I promised to protect him and now I let something like this happen. ALLEN!"

There was still no answer from the child so Mana continued his frantic search. There was no way to know which way that the little boy had went but Mana was forced to choose a direction and hope desperately that he had made the right decision.

Allen's very life could depend upon it.

"I can't believe that I let something like this happen," Mana berated himself as he searched for the little boy. His brother had trusted him with the care of his child and he had allowed Allen to disappear.

The wind was howling by now and the snow beginning to fall harder, which only increased Mana's desperation to find his child. He couldn't lose Allen.

He couldn't.

That was more than he could bear and he knew it. If something happened to Allen then he would lose his will to live and simply give up on everything.

The little brown haired child had became the center of his universe in the short time that they had been together.

He had to find him. Alive and unharmed.

An image of the child, pale and lifeless, flashed unbidden into Mana's mind and the man gripped his head with both hands and furiously shook it.

That wasn't going to happen.

And yet the shaking wouldn't stop.

"Allen!"

Mana continued to stumble about as the snow began to pile up on the sidewalk. He couldn't keep his body from shivering, having ran out without his coat, but his well being wasn't important at the moment. More than likely Allen was without a coat as well, since the child couldn't even reach the coat rack, and he had practically no body fat to keep him warm.

Mana felt the tears begin to slide down his face as he thought about the little boy who so reminded him of his brother.

"Am I destined to lose you as well?"

Fighting hard against the wind Mana lost his footing and fell to the ground, striking his knees hard on the sidewalk. He felt the cold seep through the legs of his trousers but ignored it.

It wasn't important at this moment in time. Mana couldn't care less about his own well being; his thoughts were focused solely on Allen.

"Hey…"

Surprised by the gruff voice that was calling out to him Mana glanced up and saw that someone had come to stand beside him. The man quickly made an attempt to get to his feet but he slipped on the ice and fell back to the ground. With a groan of pain Mana glanced up toward the person who had spoken and he gasped as he saw that it was the red haired man who had informed him of Nicholas' death.

But his appearance wasn't half as surprising as the little bundle that he held in his arms. Wrapped in a coat all that was visible was a shock of brown hair but to Mana that was enough. The identity of the bundle was unmistakable.

It was Allen.

"Allen!" Mana exclaimed, scrambling to his feet and taking the child from the man named Cross. The little boy was unconscious and wrapped in a black coat trimmed in gold. Shifting his gaze to Cross, Mana saw that he was dressed only in a white button up shirt. He had to be absolutely freezing. "Come on. I'm freezing so you must be as well. We should hurry to my house."

Cross nodded and proceeded to follow Mana back to his house.

The trip back was much easier, since the wind was pushing them along, and Mana was grateful for the warmth that met them when they arrived at his house. He led the way into the parlor, where a fire was roaring in the fireplace.

Mana gently placed Allen on the sofa and removed the coat that Cross had wrapped around him. He reached out and touched the boy's skin, grateful to find that it was still warm to the touch.

"Thank goodness."

"No, thank me," the man named Cross snapped, glaring at Mana through the one red eye that was visible. "You know, you really should keep a better eye on the kid."

"I know," Mana said, completely surprising Cross with this statement. There was a guilty expression in the man's brown eyes as he turned them toward Cross and it was obvious that he blamed himself for what had happened. "Thank you so much for finding him."

"It was Tim," Cross said, gesturing toward the golden creature who was once again perched on top of his hat. While it was true that he had come to this town in order to check up on the Musician's brat it was actually Timcanpy who had led him to the boy on this night.

Timcanpy had been acting restless for awhile before finally escaping the room where they were staying and leading Cross out into the cold streets. Having no choice but to follow the creature Cross had ended up wandering the streets in pursuit of the winged annoyance that had been left in his care by the Musician.

Timcanpy had led him around for a little while before they came across the kid, collapsed near a vacant building. The little boy had been on the verge of hypothermia and Cross had quickly wrapped the kid in his own coat.

"Well I wish to thank you both," Mana said, his tone sincere as he gazed at the man and the golem. "Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"Just keep a better eye on the kid from now on," Cross said, not even bothering to hide the irritation that he was feeling. "I might not always be there to save him."

"Right," Mana said.

Leaving Cross with Allen for a minute Mana ran upstairs and grabbed a blanket. Returning to the parlor Mana held the blanket up in front of the fireplace until it was nice and warm and then wrapped it around Allen.

Once Mana returned Cross grabbed his coat and began walking toward the door. There was no need for him to stay longer and this scene was more than he wanted to deal with.

"I hate kids," he grumbled as he left the house and once again set out in the storm.

"What the hell was he doing out wandering around on his own anyway? Stupid brat."

Still somewhat concerned about his young charge Mana sat down on the floor beside the sofa where Allen was sleeping. The little boy hadn't so much as batted an eyelash since he'd taken him from Cross' arms and Mana was somewhat concerned.

"I wonder if I should call a doctor…"

This thought was interrupted by a moan from the child and Mana's gaze flew to the little form that was nestled beneath the blanket.

Large gray eyes gazed back at him.

"Allen," Mana said, kneeling so that he could gaze into the boy's eyes. "What in the world possessed you to go outside by yourself? I was worried sick."

Now that Allen was conscious the worry had given way to relief and, to a small degree, anger.

"Someone calling me," Allen told him in a quiet voice. There was confusion in the child's gray eyes as he gazed at his uncle. "But I don' know who."

"You must have dreamed it," Mana said, not knowing any other way to explain why the child would think that someone had been calling out to him. "Did you fall asleep while you were playing with Star?"

"No," Allen said, sitting up and gazing at Mana. Tears were beginning to form in the boy's stormy gray eyes and it was obvious that he was upset. "I din' 'magine it Maanaa."

"Okay Allen, I believe you." In truth Mana didn't know what to believe but he didn't want to stress the boy any further by arguing with him. "But you can't just leave like that. If it happens again I want you to promise me that you'll come and tell me about it. We can search together okay?"

"Okay Mana, I sorry."

"You're forgiven," Mana said, reaching out and pulling the little boy into an embrace. His chest still felt tight due to the boy's disappearance but he was genuinely relieved to have the child home once more and more than willing to forgive him.

"_I'll just have to keep a better eye on him from now on."_

Allen allowed his uncle to hold him for a few minutes before pulling away from the man's embrace. The child gazed into his uncle's eyes for a minute, seeing the tears that were glistening there, and then climbed down from the sofa.

Mana was confused by the child's actions but his unspoken question was answered less than a minute later. Allen made his way over to the piano and climbed up onto the piano stool. The little boy stood up and reached for the keys, the haunting lullaby once again springing forth from his fingertips.

Sitting in the floor with his back pressed against the sofa Mana listened to the music and as Allen played he felt all of the remaining tension drain from his body.

As before this song seemed to bring him a peace that shouldn't be possible given the circumstances.

"_This is strange," _he thought to himself as he allowed the music to wash over him and ease his mind. _"But nice none the less."_

A/N - poor Mana, he's going to get gray hairs at an early age if this keeps up. And who exactly was calling out to Allen? Stay tuned to the story to find out more.


	15. Preparations

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I woud once again like to extend my most fervent thanks to the people who have reviewed this story: xdevil-childx, sonata of soul, PeanutAngel, knux33, firepelt00, Icetiger 13, Noah of Faith, Rikulaw, LyssiBug, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, fan girl 666, MoonlitMelody, LadyDrago88, and Allen's Lover! You guys are all amazing!

Chapter Fifteen - Preparation

Christmas was fast approaching and Mana was attempting to plan a small celebration without his child finding out about it. Having been alone for nearly four years Mana wasn't really big on celebrating the holidays but this year was different.

Christmas day was doubly special this year because it was also Allen's birthday and Mana wanted to make sure that this first holiday without his parents was special for the little boy.

After all he'd lost so much in a relatively short period of time and Mana wanted him to know that there were still things in life worth celebrating.

Now in the back of his mind the man fully realized that this party was more for him that it was for the child. With the resilience only possessed by small children Allen seemed to have moved past the loss of his parents but Mana himself still felt the loss of his brother, more than he was willing to admit.

"Maybe I'm just being selfish," Mana thought to himself as he thumbed through a book of recipes that he had found in the kitchen cupboard. "But I'm sure that Allen will enjoy the food so it's okay."

Mana had developed his cooking skills over the years that he had lived alone but, having never been a really big fan of sweets, his baking skills were sadly lacking.

But that didn't detract from his determination to make his little boy a birthday cake so he set about searching for an adequate recipe. Mana was skimming through the pages, lost in though, when he heard, "Hey Mana!"

Not having expected the boy's sudden approach Mana jumped and tossed the book into the air in his surprise.

Which of course Allen found absolutely hysterical.

"I scare you! I scare you!" the boy chanted in a sing songy voice, his eyes wide and a grin spread across his face.

"Yes you did," Mana said as he bent to retrieve his cookbook from the spot where it had fallen. His first impulse had been to deny the boy's accusation but that passed quickly and Mana decided to simply admit the fact that the kid had startled him.

His racing heart was proof enough of that.

"Whatcha doin'?" the child questioned as he watched Mana attempt to find the page that he had lost when he tossed the book into the air.

"Reading," Mana replied evasively, not wanting to give away the secret that he had been trying so hard to keep from the child.

"In the kitchen?" Allen pressed, seeming to think that this was an odd place to read. Normally Mana chose to read in the sitting room so it seemed that something wasn't right with this answer.

"Yes," Mana said, reaching down to tousle the boy's brown hair. "What are you doing?"

The little boy shrugged. "I's lonely."

"I thought you were playing with Star?" Mana said, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to get anything done so long as the little boy was underfoot.

"He fell 'sleep," Allen said, sounding sad.

Mana couldn't help but feel bad for the little boy who was gazing up at him with such a pitiful expression. Perhaps this was just a ploy that Allen was using to get his uncle to pay attention to him but if that were the case then it worked like a charm. Placing the recipe book down on the counter Mana bent down and picked up the child.

"I'm sorry Allen. Come on and I'll play with you for a little while. How does that sound? Will that make you happy?"

"Yea!" the child shrieked, cheering up at once.

All thoughts of the dog that had abandoned him seemed forgotten as he gazed up at his uncle.

"Wrapped around his little finger," Mana muttered to himself as he carried the small boy from the kitchen and made his way down the hall to the sitting room. Most of Allen's toys were kept upstairs in his room but the deck of playing cards was sitting on the coffee table where they had been left after the last game.

When he reached his destination Mana deposited his young charge on the ground and took a seat in the floor. Catching the drift Allen quickly sat across from his uncle, his expression hopeful as his gaze shot back and forth between Mana and the deck of cards.

He was fairly certain that he already knew the answer to the question but Mana posed it none the less. Simply for the enjoyment of listening to Allen's response. "Would you like to play cards?"

"YES!"

Allen's entire face lit up as he reached for the deck of playing cards. Unfortunately, in his haste, the little boy lost his grip on the cards, which sent them flying in all directions.

The surprised expression on Allen's face was priceless and Mana had to fight hard to contain his laughter. He would have liked nothing better than to let the laughter run it's course but that never boded well for him when Allen was around. So, much to his dismay, he had no choice but to suppress it.

"Guess we're playing fifty-two card pick up," Mana said good naturedly as he bent forward to retrieve a couple of cards that had landed next to him.

"What that?" Allen asked as he too began to pick up the scattered cards.

A smile spread across Mana's face. "It's a race to see who can pick up the most cards."

Seemingly delighted by this new game Allen immediately set about picking up the scattered cards. Watching as the boy worked diligently on this game that didn't exist Mana felt a brief flash of guilt. It passed quickly enough however as he leaned forward and felt something in his back pop from the effort. "I'm getting too old for this."

"I win!" Allen announced, holding up the pile of cards that he had collected. Pride was shining in his gray eyes and Mana offered him a smile. "You certainly did. Good job Allen."

"Let's play again!"

"No," Mana said, quickly seizing hold of the little hand before Allen had the chance to fling the cards that he held. "Let's play a different game."

" 'Kay," Allen said, offering the cards that he held to his uncle.

Taking the cards that the child was holding out to him Mana quickly shuffled the deck. This process seemed to amaze Allen and Mana began using elaborate moves to shuffle the cards.

"How you do that?" Allen asked, leaning against Mana's knee, his gray eyes locked onto the cards.

He seemed completely entranced.

"I can teach you if you'd like," Mana offered with a smile.

Allen quickly nodded, an excited expression on his face. This seemed like something fun and he decided that he'd like nothing better than to learn.

Mana spent the better part of an hour teaching the little boy how to shuffle the cards and while, at the end of the lesson Allen was able to copy the motions, Mana determined that he would have to invest in a new deck of cards. The boy's practicing hadn't been kind to the one that they had and several of the cards were bent beyond repair.

"Mana I sorry," Allen said, holding up one of the mangled cards and gazing at it.

"Don't worry about it kiddo," Mana said as he worked to straighten out another of the bent cards. "It's easy enough to get a new deck."

"You not mad?"

"No I'm not mad," Mana said, giving up on the card and placing it on the coffee table. Using the piece of furniture for support Mana got to his feet and gazed down at the little boy. "Why don't you go and see if Star's finished with his nap now?"

"Okay!" Jumping to his feet Allen raced out of the sitting room.

Mana heard the sound of the little boy running up the stairs, followed shortly thereafter by the sound of the door being thrust open. "Well if he wasn't awake before he certainly is now."

Chuckling softly to himself Mana left the sitting room and returned to the kitchen, where he retrieved his recipe book and resumed his search for a cake recipe.

"This one looks good," he muttered to himself after flipping through a few of the pages. The cake was the last thing that Mana needed to prepare and he decided that he would bake it after Allen went to bed for the night. Everything else needed for the party had already been purchased and set up in the parlor, which Mana had locked in order to keep Allen from finding out about the surprise party.

"I hope that he enjoys this…"

Mana was investing a large amount of time and effort into getting things ready for this party for his nephew and he really wanted to make sure that everything went well.

* * *

That night, once both Allen and Star had been put to bed for the night, Mana returned to the kitchen and set about gathering all of the ingredients that he would need for his cake. Fortunately he seemed to have everything that he required and Mana went to work.

"I hope this works out," the man muttered to himself as he set about preparing everything. He wasn't exactly certain about his skills as a baker but was none the less determined to do the best job that he could.

Hopefully Allen would appreciate the effort that he was putting into this little party. After all he was doing all of it in order to see a smile light up the little boy's face.

"Well," Mana thought to himself as he stood facing his assembled ingredients. "I guess it's time to find out exactly what kind of baker I am."

And so the task began.

A/N - hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. And once again I would like to thank everyone who is reading this story and especially those who have taken the time to review. You guys make all of my work worthwhile. Thank you all so much.


	16. Celebration

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - Once again I would like to extend my thanks to my wonderful reviewers: firepelt00, xdevil-childx, Moon Willow, Icetiger 13, PeanutAngel, SSA Nicholas Reid, LyssiBug, fan girl 666, maaike13, Skittles, Arceus the Creator, xTincampi, walkergirl, mysticwolf1896, Treasured Heart, 14th Noah, Hesunohana, Noah of Faith, Jenaminya, and Sassy Kat! You guys are all wonderful; thank you so very much.

Chapter Sixteen - Celebration

"_I think I might have done an okay job," _Mana thought to himself as he gazed at the finished cake. He had been up all night making the cake and putting together the final touches for the little party but was pleased with the end result.

The lack of sleep was definitely worth it.

He had decorated the parlor with festive red and green ribbons and had even strung popcorn on the little tree that he'd purchased. A large banner was strung across the room which read, 'Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas Allen!'

Mana had also prepared a very large breakfast for the two of them, which he had placed on a table that he had moved into the parlor. It wasn't exactly proper to eat in this room but Mana didn't much care about propriety. It was warmer in here than in the dining room and the decorations added a festive atmosphere.

Besides it wasn't as though Allen was going to care about what was proper and it was just the two of them.

Standing back to admire his work Mana allowed his gaze to shift briefly to the clock that was situated on the mantel above the fireplace. "It should be almost time for the little guy to wake up. Guess I'll go upstairs and check on him."

Which translated into he was too excited to wait for Allen to wake up on his own and intended to go and help him out a little.

Mana quickly ascended the stairs and made his way down the hall toward the door of Allen's room. He pulled the door open and stepped inside the darkened room. Gazing around he saw that Star was curled up on the rug beside Allen's bed, his head raised.

"Good morning Star," Mana whispered to the dog. "Maybe I should take you for a walk before waking Allen."

The word walk served to fully rouse the dog and he jumped to his feet and ran over to the spot where Mana was standing. With a smile the man grabbed the leash that was lying on top of the dresser and clipped it to Star's collar.

"Come on."

Star eagerly followed Mana out of the room, his little stump of a tail wagging furiously. The duo made their way downstairs, with Mana pausing at the front door so that he could grab his heavy winter coat and a scarf.

Normally Mana wouldn't leave Allen alone while he walked the dog but it was incredibly cold outside on this snowy Christmas morning so he made an exception. Hopefully the boy would remain asleep until he and Star returned.

Hopefully Star would do what he had to do quickly so that they could return to the warmth of the house.

A fierce blast of icy wind greeted Mana as he opened the door and allowed Star to go out before him. Shivering Mana pulled the scarf tighter around his neck, hoping that it might shield at least some of the cold air that was assaulting him.

"Okay Star," he said as his gaze shifted to the little terrier. "You have five minutes starting now so hurry it up already."

Glancing back the little dog barked.

Less than three minutes later Star was pulling at the leash, dragging Mana back toward the front door. It seemed that the little dog had endured enough of the cold and Mana completely agreed with him. Thankful that he could now go back inside Mana quickly followed along behind the little dog. He had to struggle a little to pull the door open due to the fierce wind that was blowing but he finally managed and both he and the dog were practically blown back inside.

"Well that was refreshing," Mana muttered sarcastically as he unclipped the leash from Star's collar and allowed the dog to have his freedom. "Now I guess I'll go and wake Allen."

This said Mana once again made his way upstairs to his child's bedroom. The door had been left slightly ajar when he and Star had left earlier and Mana slipped in almost silently and made his way over to the bed where Allen was still peacefully sleeping.

A smile spread across Mana's face as he walked over and gently touched the little boy on the shoulder. "Allen… time to wake up Allen."

The only response that he received from the little boy was a groan as the child rolled over, pulling the blankets even tighter around his small form.

"Come on Allen," Mana persisted, determined to wake the little boy so that he could show him the surprise that was waiting downstairs. "Wake up kiddo. It's time for breakfast."

Mentally Mana counted down the seconds that it would take before he got a response; five… four… three… two…

Mana's words seemed to register at this exact moment and the child's head popped up and his gaze turned to Mana.

"I knew that would work," Mana thought to himself before smiling at Allen. "Good morning Allen."

"Morning," the child muttered as he used the back of his hand to wipe the sleep from his eyes. "Whas for breakfast?"

"A special treat," Mana said as he walked over to the child's dresser and selected clothes for the little boy to wear. On this particular morning Mana pulled out black trousers, a white shirt, black vest and a little black bow tie. Once he had the clothes in hand Mana handed all except the bow tie to the small boy who had came to stand beside him. He was guessing that Allen wouldn't be able to tie it by himself and resolved to help the child with it once he was dressed.

Allen accepted the clothes that Mana offered and then turned big gray eyes to his uncle. "Get out."

"My but you're a bossy little thing," Mana said as he turned and made his way over to the door. "I'll be downstairs so come find me once you're dressed."

" 'Kay!" Allen said, already tugging at his night shirt.

Shaking his head Mana left the child's room and made his way downstairs to the sitting room. As he walked he absently fingered the fabric of the little bow tie that he held in his hand before putting the little strip of cloth in his pocket. Slightly exhausted from his night spent preparing for the party Mana sat down on the sofa to wait for Allen's arrival. "I can't believe I actually stayed up all night. I'm too old for stuff like that."

His eyes felt as though they were filled with sand and Mana absently wiped at them with the backs of his hands.

With a sigh Mana leaned back against the sofa, deciding to rest his eyes for a few minutes. He was so tired from all of the work that he had done and reasoned that he would have a couple of minutes to himself before Allen came downstairs.

Once Allen had finished getting dressed, even managing to pull on his shoes by himself, he went in search of Mana. After all his uncle had promised a special treat for breakfast and Allen wanted to know exactly what that treat might be.

The sound of the little boy's footsteps echoed as he descended the stairs and began looking for Mana. The first place that he searched was the kitchen, since he really wanted breakfast, but Mana was nowhere to be found there.

"Mana," the little boy called out as he made his way down the hallway.

There was no response from the person that he was searching for so Allen continued his search. His next stop was the sitting room, where Mana could often be found, and this time his search was more successful. The little boy found Mana sitting on the couch, sound asleep.

"Maaanaa!" the boy whined, grabbing at his uncle's hand and pulling. "You said time for breakfast!"

Mana was startled out of his sleep by the child's pitiful voice and he opened one eye and gazed at his nephew. Allen was standing in front of him, glaring in his direction.

"I didn't even realize he could make faces like that," the man thought to himself as he once again wiped at his eyes with the backs of his hands. In truth he hadn't meant to fall asleep but now that he had Mana found that he didn't want to get up. "That was a stupid move," he thought as Allen once again tugged on his arm.

"Up Maaanaa!" the child demanded.

"Okay, okay," Mana said, forcing himself to get to his feet before the angry child pulled his arm out of socket. "Look I'm up."

Allen released his grip on Mana but didn't take his eyes off the man, as though worried that if he did Mana would lay back down and go to sleep again.

Mana could tell by the look on the little boy's face that Allen didn't trust him and for some reason that fact made him laugh. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the little bow tie that he had placed there and secured it around Allen's neck.

"There now," he said once he'd tied the bow. "You look like a perfect little gentleman."

As if on cue Allen bowed politely.

"Come on," Mana said, regaining some of the excitement that he'd felt early. "I have a surprise for you."

"What?" Allen asked, a curious expression in his eyes.

"Come on and I'll show you," was all that Mana would say as he offered the little boy his hand.

Allen gazed at the hand that Mana was holding out to him for a minute and then grabbed it. He followed along behind his uncle until the man passed up the dining room. That was when Allen pulled to a stop.

"What's the matter Allen?" Mana asked as he was pulled roughly to a halt. He gazed back to find a very unhappy four year old gazing up at him.

"You said breakfast…"

"I promise that you'll get breakfast," Mana assured the child, chuckling softly to himself. "But today's special so we're not eating in the dining room."

"Hmm," Allen said, confused.

"Come on," Mana coaxed, now anxious for Allen to see the decorations.

Allen resumed walking along behind Mana and after only a few steps they arrived at the closed door of the parlor. Reaching into his pocket Mana produced a key, which he used to gain access to the previously off limits room. Pulling Allen toward him Mana placed his hand over the child's eyes and then opened the door. He directed the child inside and then removed the hand that was covering the little boy's face.

Allen gazed around the room, his face lighting up in delight.

"Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas Allen!" Mana exclaimed, pulling the little boy over to him and wrapping an arm around his little shoulders. "Do you like it?"

Allen nodded enthusiastically as he walked around the room, taking in the decorations that Mana had put up for him. A small gasp escaped his lips as he spied the table that was heavily laden with food.

"See?" Mana said as he came to stand behind the boy. "I told you that you'd get breakfast."

Allen smiled and Mana instantly felt that his efforts were worthwhile. His child was obviously delighted by the little party and that was enough for him.

"Cake!"

Snapping back to reality Mana barely managed to seize the child by the collar of his shirt before Allen dove head first into the cake. "Hold it there kiddo… we're going to wait a little while to have cake."

Allen's face fell.

"But we can have breakfast." Mana hoped that this would be enough to placate the child since he was fairly certain that sugar this early in the morning wouldn't be good for the little boy. "And then a little later we can have cake and you can open your gifts."

That served to brighten the boy's mood and he nodded his head.

"Life's good," Mana thought to himself, the child's smile having brightened up his entire day. Allen had quickly became his reason for moving forward with life and he didn't know what he would do without the child.

And hopefully he would never have to find out.

A/N - and there's the end of another chapter. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. The music has ended for now but rest assured that it will resume soon.


	17. Sugar is Dangerous

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Thank you so much to my wonderful reviewers! BlackCross1808, Mesonoxian, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, xdevil-childx, Fanfic-AddictYuki, firepelt00, Allen's Lover, 20Tsubasa, Noah of Faith, Icetiger 13, walkergirl, PeanutAngel, Sassy Kat, SSA Nicholas Reid, fan girl 666, Jenaminya, Key46842, crazy DGM fan, Arceus the Creator and LyssiBug! Thank you so much guys! You're all awesome!

Chapter Seventeen - Sugar is Dangerous

After the two of them enjoyed the large breakfast that he had prepared Mana allowed Allen to open his gifts. This was the part that he, himself, had been most looking forward to and Allen soon caught his excitement. The little boy seemed delighted as he sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by brightly wrapped gifts of various sizes.

"Go ahead Allen," Mana said as he pushed one of the brightly wrapped boxes toward the little boy. "These are all for you. Open them."

Allen gazed at the box for a moment longer before he reached out and tugged on the end of the ribbon, untying the bow that decorated the top of the box. Then he reached out and made an attempt to pull off the bright paper that Mana had wrapped the gift in.

Unfortunately he had a little trouble with that part. No matter how hard he tried the little boy found that he was unable to remove the paper.

A smile appeared on Mana's face as Allen continued to try to rip the paper and, when the boy was looking the other way, he reached out and used his fingernail to make a slight tear in the paper.

Then he pulled his hand back and continued to watch his little boy. Allen ran his little hands along the box and soon found the rip in the paper. Pulling with all his might the child ripped a large piece of paper from the gift that sat in front of him.

It was easy after that and Allen had soon pulled back the paper to reveal a medium sized box. With a bright smile on his face Allen got to his feet and pulled the top from the box, peering inside with a curious look in his expressive gray eyes.

Reaching inside Allen made an attempt to extract the gift but this also proved difficult for him. So Mana once again decided to surreptitiously give the little boy some help. Sticking out his foot he kicked the box over, causing the contents to roll out onto the floor.

Giggling in delight Allen immediately pounced upon the large rubber ball that had emerged from the gift box. It was blue in color and even larger than he was and Allen held on with his little arms as the ball rolled around.

Which resulted in the child being tossed to the floor.

Mana was expecting tears when he watched the boy tumble to the floor but Allen surprised him by laughing and jumping onto the ball again.

"I guess he likes that one," Mana said with a smile.

At this moment Mana heard the sound of paper rustling and he gazed over in time to see Star rolling around in the discarded wrapping paper that Allen had tossed aside. The little dog seemed just as delighted by the paper as Allen had been by his gift.

"How funny," the man thought to himself as he watched the little dog. Mana watched the little dog play for a couple of minutes before returning his gaze to the little brown haired boy who was sitting in the floor.

Allen had pulled another box toward him and was now attempting to remove the wrapping paper. Mana reached out a hand to help him but this time it proved to be unnecessary. Allen succeeded in doing it on his own, which caused a smile to spread across his face.

Tossing the wrapping paper aside Allen opened this second box to reveal a set of colorful picture books and then a third to reveal a wooden top.

Then, once Allen had opened all of the boxes that surrounded him, Mana got to his feet and offered the little boy his hand. "Come on Allen. There's something else that I want to show you."

Allen accepted the hand that his uncle was holding out to him and together the two of them walked across the parlor to the closet that was located at the far end of the room. Then, when they reached the closed closet door, Mana reached out and pulled it open.

Allen squealed in delight as his gaze fell upon a large rocking horse with a bright red bow on the top.

Chuckling softly to himself Mana pulled the rocking horse from the closet and watched as Allen immediately scrambled onto the toy. His face was lit up with excitement and Mana was fairly certain that this was his favorite toy.

"So do you like it Allen?" he asked as the boy began to rock back and forth.

"Yes!" the child exclaimed, his entire face lit up with joy.

"That's good," Mana said, hiding a yawn behind his hand. His all night party preparations were beginning to take a toll on him, and the short nap that he had managed while Allen was dressing had only made the situation worse, so Mana decided to sit down on the sofa for a few minutes.

He needed a short break.

Mana walked over to the sofa and sat down, watching Allen rocking back and forth on the little wooden horse. He was happy that the little boy was so pleased by his gifts and content to watch the child play for awhile.

Life was good.

* * *

Mana didn't even remember going to sleep but he awoke with a start when he felt a little hand tugging at the sleeve of his shirt. His eyes popped open and he couldn't help but laugh at the sight that met his searching gaze.

Allen was standing in front of him with a wide smile on his face. But that wasn't what caused the uncontrollable laughter that Mana was now dealing with.

No, that was caused by the fact that the child's little face was completely covered in cake icing. He had even managed to get it in his hair.

"Allen," Mana said as he sat up and gazed at the little boy. "Did you decide that you'd waited long enough for cake?"

"Yep," the little boy chirped, gazing at Mana with bright gray eyes.

Mana's gaze shifted toward the table where he had left the cake sitting and he saw that Allen had pulled his rocking horse over to the table so that he could reach the sugary treat. Part of him was annoyed over the fact that Allen had massacred the cake that he had worked so hard to make. But another part of him was impressed by the ingenuity that the little boy had used in obtaining the treat.

"Well," Mana said, knowing that he couldn't be angry with the child. After all, it was his own fault for going to sleep and leaving him unsupervised. Besides that, it was the little boy's birthday. "Was it good?"

"Yep!" the little boy exclaimed, the smile on his face growing even wider.

"That's good to know," Mana said with a chuckle. "I guess my baking skills are better than I thought they were. Unfortunately now you're a mess so I think it's bath time."

Hearing this caused the little boy to turn and attempt to make an escape however Mana, having anticipated the boy's reaction to the news, reached out and seized the child around the waist. With a laugh, he lifted the boy up and held him secure in his arms. "Oh no you don't. You're filthy Allen and you're taking a bath."

Allen made one last, futile attempt to escape from his uncle's grasp but ceased all such actions when Mana began to tickle him. The little boy giggled as he tried to keep Mana from tickling him under the arms.

Laughing along with the child Mana carried the little boy upstairs and into the small bathroom that was located directly across the hall from the child's bedroom.

Allen had gotten over some of his initial modesty and no longer fought when Mana bathed him. In the beginning bath time had been a daunting task but now thankfully it wasn't so difficult.

Although Mana still couldn't manage to give the little boy a bath without ending up soaking wet himself.

"Allen!" Mana exclaimed as he wiped the water from his eyes and once again attempted to get the icing out of the little boy's hair. "Could you please stop splashing so that I can get this out?"

Allen ceased his playing for a few minutes but then he was right back at it, splashing more furiously than before.

"Ugh," Mana groaned as he once again used his sleeve to wipe the water from his face. The little boy seemed even more hyperactive than usual, which Mana was fairly certain had something to do with the high sugar content of the cake that he had devoured. "Allen Nicholas Walker, stop!"

Allen halted mid splash, somewhat shocked by the stern tone that he heard in Mana's voice. That, coupled together with the use of his full name, boded ill. He gazed up at his uncle with large gray eyes.

"Please," Mana said, taking a deep breath and forcing the frustration from his voice. "Calm down so that I can get this icing out of your hair."

Allen continued to gaze at Mana, seemingly thinking about the man's words. Then he slowly nodded.

"Thank you," Mana said.

Mana could tell that it was difficult by the way that Allen was squirming but the child managed to keep himself from splashing for the remainder of his bath. Grateful for this Mana managed to remove all of the sticky icing from the boy's brown hair.

"Okay kiddo," Mana said, grabbing a large fluffy towel and holding his arms out to the boy. "Let's go."

Allen got to his feet and launched himself at his uncle.

Mana caught the child and wrapped him in the fluffy towel using part of it to rub at the boy's damp hair. Then he carried Allen across the hall to his bedroom so that he could dress the child in clean clothing.

Mana placed the little boy on the bed and then walked across the room to the dresser that contained Allen's clothes. Opening the top drawer Mana reached inside and pulled out a pair of underwear, a pair of black trousers and a white shirt.

Then he walked across the room and offered the clothing to the child. Allen accepted the clothes that Mana offered to him and immediately began to dress himself.

He didn't even bother making Mana leave the room first.

Once the child was fully dressed in his clean clothes, Allen turned his large gray eyes to his uncle. "It lunch time?"

Mana's hand reflexively shot up to cover his mouth. "You ate an entire cake and now you want lunch?"

Allen nodded, oblivious to his uncle's incredulity.

"Oh I don't believe this." Actually, having became accustomed to the massive amounts of food that the child ate, Mana really shouldn't have been surprised. "Come on then. You can go and play with your toys while I make something for lunch."

" 'Kay!" Allen exclaimed, jumping down from the bed and dashing from the room as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Mana heard the sounds of Allen's steps echoing as he ran down the stairs and he shook his head as he made his way to his own bedroom so that he could trade his wet clothing for something on the dry side. "I have the feeling he's going to be on a sugar high for the rest of the day."

Holding up his hand to cover a yawn, Mana thought to himself, _"I'm not sure if I'm going to make it through this day."_

Of course he knew that, in reality, he didn't have a choice other than doing his best to make it through the day. He had made a promise, both to Nicholas and to Allen himself, and he had every intention of keeping that promise.

He had known that it wouldn't always be easy, that life with a child would prove to be a challenge, but he was wholeheartedly dedicated to raising Allen to the best of his ability.

"Just keep walking…"

Mana quickly changed out of his wet clothing and then made his way downstairs, intent upon fixing Allen something for lunch.

"And I didn't even get any cake," he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he made his way over to the oven.

A/N - here's the end of yet another chapter. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. I really enjoy reading your comments about this story. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. You're all wonderful.


	18. Cries in the Night

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Thank you so much to the wonderful reviewers of this story: BlackCross1808, Key46812, xdevil-childx, PeanutAngel, Mesonoxian, LyssiBug, Allen's Lover, Jenaminya, MuffinStealer, Sassy Kat, Arceus the Creator, fan girl 666, 14th Noah, crazy DGM fan, mysticwolf1896, Star, Noah of Faith, and AnaInTheCorona! Your comments mean the world to me and I just want to take the opportunity to thank you once again.

Chapter Eighteen - Cries in the Night

During the months that had passed since little Allen had lost his parents Mana had been astounded by the boy's recovery. It seemed that he had gotten past the loss of both his mother and father amazingly fast. Having lost both of his parents Mana knew what a monumental loss it was and he was surprised that Allen had managed to move on so quickly. Allen was a happy child that spent his days playing with his dog Star and the various toys that Mana had bought for him.

Or at least that was what Mana had thought.

Until that night.

Mana had put Allen to bed a couple of hours earlier and now he was on his way to his own room to turn in for the night. But he had gotten in the habit of checking on his child before retiring each night so he stopped by Allen's room first. Making sure to be as quiet as possible, so as not to wake the child, Mana opened the door and stepped inside the darkened room.

And the first thing he heard when he entered the room was the muffled sound of crying.

Mana was at Allen's bedside in a matter of minutes and he quickly lit the oil lamp that was positioned on the bedside table. The lamp cast a subdued light and Mana gazed down at the child who was lying in the bed.

Allen was curled up into a tight ball, with his face buried in the pillow. He was shaking and it appeared as though he was disturbed. Perhaps by a nightmare or something like that. Mana could hear the little boy's cries, as well as mumbled words, but he couldn't make out exactly what Allen was saying. Now the man didn't really have any experience with dealing with nightmares, since neither he nor his brother had ever suffered from that particular affliction or at least not that he remembered. However he realized that he needed to do something and waking the little boy seemed like the best course of action.

"Allen," Mana whispered, reaching out and touching the little boy on the shoulder. He gently shook the child and watched as Allen's eyes opened.

His face was tear streaked and he looked absolutely miserable.

Mana sat down on the edge of Allen's bed and pulled the little boy into his arms, wrapping him in a comforting embrace. The child was obviously distressed and Mana wanted to know exactly what it was that was upsetting him so. "What's the matter Allen?"

"Mother…" the little boy murmured, his voice breaking as he buried his face in the fabric of Mana's shirt. "Father…"

This was the first time that Allen had ever mentioned his mother and the sound of the child's soft voice absolutely broke Mana's heart. He instantly felt guilty over the fact that he'd just assumed that the little boy was alright after losing his entire family. He should have realized that Allen was suffering just as much as he himself but Allen always seemed so happy.

"Shh," Mana soothed, rubbing the child's back in a soothing manner. "I know you miss them Allen but they're in heaven now. And they'd be proud of you, I'm sure of it."

The little boy continued to sniffle but he seemed to calm down a degree in Mana's arms. He felt safe and protected in his uncle's arms and this made him feel better.

Continuing to rub the little boy's back Mana began to rock back and forth, seeking to offer Allen what comfort he could. During the months that they had spent together Allen had became the most important person in Mana's life and he hated to see the little boy suffering.

"I'm sorry little one," Mana whispered as he rocked back and forth. "I should have realized that everything wasn't okay."

For his part Allen clutched at the fabric of Mana's shirt and listened as the man whispered soothing words to him. The nightmare that had brought him to tears was all but forgotten and the child was beginning to grow drowsy once more. Mana picked up on the fact that Allen's eyes were growing heavy and he began to hum softly to the child that he held in his arms. Continuing to rock back and forth Mana softly hummed that haunting melody that Allen had played on the piano.

The lullaby that seemed to offer both of them a strange sense of peace.

Allen closed his eyes as he listened to his uncle humming softly to him and it wasn't long before he was asleep. His grip on Mana's shirt loosened as he drifted off and his hand fell to his side.

"Sweet dreams little one," Mana whispered as he continued to rock. The movement was as soothing to him as it had been to the child and he just wanted to hold the little boy for awhile longer. The weight of the little boy in his arms was as soothing to him as the lullaby and the rocking motion had been to Allen. It was amazing how quickly he'd adapted to life with the little boy and now Mana couldn't imagine what life would be like without him.

While it was true that it had only been a few months since the little boy had came into his life, to Mana it felt like they had been together for much longer.

Mana held the little boy for about half an hour, making sure that his nightmare didn't return, before gently placing him back into bed. He pulled the covers up and tucked them in around the small form before brushing Allen's brown hair from his face and getting to his feet. Leaning forward Mana blew out the lamp before turning and making his way toward the door. He made his way down the hall to his bedroom, where he quickly changed into his pajamas.

Allen's tears and the fact that he'd been calling out to his dead parents had rattled Mana and he sat down on the edge of his bed and placed his head in his hands. "I should have realized that he wouldn't recover from a loss like that so quickly."

He felt guilty over the fact that he hadn't seen any signs of Allen's distress and, now that the little boy was sleeping peacefully, he allowed himself time to dwell on these feelings.

"I hope I haven't done him any permanent damage," Mana thought to himself with a sigh.

* * *

Mana slept fitfully that night and awoke just as the sun was beginning to rise above the horizon. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, his thoughts still focused on the little boy who was sleeping down the hall.

"_I should probably go and check on him," _he thought to himself as he got to his feet. After the events of the night before he wanted to make sure that the little boy was alright. Not even bothering to get dressed first Mana merely grabbed a robe as he left his room, pulling it on as he walked the few steps that separated his room from Allen's.

Opening the door quietly, just in case his child was still sleeping, Mana stepped inside the room. His eyes quickly adjusted to the semi darkness of the room and he walked over to the bed.

Allen was still sleeping peacefully, with one little hand resting beneath his head.

A smile spread across Mana's face as he gazed down at the child. It seemed that, after the nightmare, Allen's night had been much better than his own.

"Sleep as long as you want little one," Mana whispered as he turned and made his way out of the room.

His first impulse was to go back to bed and attempt to get a few more hours of sleep but Mana eventually decided against that course of action. It didn't seem likely that he would be able to go to sleep so Mana decided to go downstairs and get started on breakfast.

Because he knew that Allen would be starving when he awakened.

"I'll make him something extra special for breakfast," Mana decided as he got dressed.

Once he was dressed Mana made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. It seemed to him that he spent a large amount of his time in this room and this thought brought a smile to his face.

"That boy does love to eat," he muttered as he went about gathering the ingredients that he would need to make pancakes.

He had gone through a number of recipes in his head and had decided upon pancakes. Allen loved them and they hadn't had them in awhile.

That would make them seem like a treat to the little boy.

* * *

Mana was just finishing up a large stack of pancakes when he heard the sound of someone entering the room. Glancing up from his cooking he watched as Allen entered the room, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Good morning Allen," Mana called out cheerfully as the little boy walked toward him, followed closely behind by Star.

"Morning," Allen said in a groggy voice, gazing up at his uncle through half opened eyes.

"Ready for breakfast?" Mana asked, even though he already knew the answer to that particular question.

After all it only had one.

"Yes!"

"Well go and sit at the table," Mana said, gesturing toward the door that led to the dining room. "I made pancakes."

Seeming to lose some of his early morning sluggishness Allen walked across the room and entered the dining room. Although he would eat anything that was put in front of him pancakes were among his favorite foods.

Which probably had something to do with the sugar content of the syrup.

"He seems to be alright this morning," Mana thought to himself as he poured syrup over a large stack of pancakes. "But I'm going to keep a closer eye on him from now on."

After all the child had seemed okay before but, after last night, Mana knew that appearances could be deceiving. He wanted to make certain that nothing happened to further upset the little boy. His desire to protect the little boy from suffering further pain had grown drastically after holding the shaking little form the night before and Mana was more determined than ever to do everything in his power to protect Allen. To shield him from the harshness of the world.

A/N - hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. And for everyone who has reviewed this story I would just like to express my gratitude. You guys are awesome and make my work worthwhile. Thank you.


	19. Winter Wonderland

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I would once again like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers! Morfanerina, xdevil-childx, BlackCross1808, fan girl 666, SSA Nicholas Reid, 14th Noah, PeanutAngel, Mesonoxian, crazy DGM fan, Arceus the Creator, key46812, AnaInTheCorona, mysticwolf1896, LyssiBug, Noah of Faith, Jenaminya, and walkergirl! You guys make my work worthwhile and I would once again like to extend my most heartfelt thanks!

Chapter Nineteen - Winter Wonderland

Mana was sitting on the sofa, reading a book while Allen played with his blocks in the floor, however he paused his reading after awhile and got to his feet. There was something that he needed to check on and it was far more interesting than the book that he had been idlly skimming through. Walking over to the window Mana pulled the curtains to the side and gazed outside.

Gazed out to find the world outside coated in white.

A smile spread across Mana's face as he gazed at the snow covered streets. It had began snowing earlier in the day but now Mana thought that there was finally enough snow on the ground. He had been waiting, far from patiently, for this moment. A grin spread across his face as he once again turned his attention to the child who was playing with blocks in the floor.

"Hey Allen," he called out, gaining the child's attention instantly. The child turned his head and a pair of gray eyes gazed up at him questioningly. "Come here for a minute. There's something that I want to show you."

In his haste to obey the summons from his uncle Allen knocked over his tower of blocks with his foot as he jumped to his feet. The boy made an annoyed face but it quickly faded as he ran over to the window where Mana was standing. "What?"

Reaching down Mana scooped the little boy into his arms and held him up so that he could gaze outside. A small gasp escaped the child's lips as his gaze took in the snow drifts that had piled up outside.

"Snow!"

"Would you like to go outside to play for a little while?" Mana asked, enjoying the delighted expression that had appeared on his child's face at the sight of the snowdrifts.

"Yea!" Allen exclaimed, bouncing in Mana's arms.

"Alright," Mana said, his eyes shining as he gazed at the excited little boy. "Let's get you dressed in some warmer clothes and then we'll go out and play for a little while."

Giving an excited little squeak Allen struggled to get down from Mana's arms. Chuckling softly to himself Mana placed the child on the ground and watched as he immediately dashed from the room. The sounds of his footsteps could be heard thundering up the stairs and, with a grin, Mana followed along behind him. When he reached the child's bedroom it was to find Allen climbing the dresser drawers in order to reach the top. Rushing forward Mana seized the child around the waist and lifted him from his perch. "I've been wondering how exactly you've been reaching your clothes," he said as he placed Allen back on the ground. "You shouldn't climb on the furniture Allen, you could break your neck."

Allen stuck out his tongue as his uncle rummaged through the top drawer of the dresser, searching for some warm clothing. Clothing in hand Mana turned back toward his nephew just in time to see the fact that the little boy was sticking his tongue out at him.

"That's not very nice Allen," Mana said as he walked over to the boy, pointing his finger at the child.

In response Allen blew a raspberry.

"Do you want to go outside?" Mana asked, a slight note of warning in his voice as he gazed at the child.

"Yes," Allen replied.

"Then behave yourself," Mana warned as he knelt in front of Allen and began to pull a pair of thick, woolen trousers over the pants that the little boy was already wearing.

"I sorry," Allen murmured as Mana continued to dress him.

"Then I forgive you," Mana said, pulling a sweater over the child's head and then tousling his brown hair. "Now let's go and get our coats on. Then we can go outside."

Leaping into the air in excitement Allen dashed out of the room and ran down the stairs. The little boy ran all the way to the front door, where he paused to wait for Mana to catch up with him.

"Hurry Mana!"

"I'm coming," Mana called out as he made his way down the stairs. There was no way that he was going to run because, knowing his luck, he'd end up tumbling head over heels all the way to the bottom.

And that was not a thought that he relished.

"You slow," Allen commented when Mana finally came to stand beside him.

"And you're being mean again," Mana said as he reached up and pulled Allen's little coat from the coat rack. He helped the child into his coat and then quickly pulled on his own. Mana could tell, by the way that the child was rocking back and forth, that Allen was growing impatient.

"We're going to have to work on patience," he thought to himself as he opened the door and watched as Allen dashed out into the blinding light.

Snow was still lightly falling and Mana watched as Allen opened his mouth, attempting to catch the flakes with his tongue. Mana laughed at the boy's antics, recalling his childhood days with Nicholas as he watched the boy playing. Allen's father had loved the snow as well and winter had been his favorite time of year.

Allen ceased spinning around in a circle and gazed over at Mana, who was laughing loudly. Leaning forward the child scooped up a handful of snow, which he then proceeded to throw at his uncle. Mana's laughter ceased as the snowball collided with the side of his head and exploded, sending powdery snow in all directions. His eyes narrowed for a brief moment before Mana knelt down and gathered up a handful of snow. Getting to his feet he set his sights on the child who was standing a few feet away.

And so the fight began.

The sound of laughter echoed in the air as Allen dodged the snowballs that Mana was throwing in his direction, at the same time throwing his own at his uncle. The snowball fight was epic and, by the time that a ceasefire had been called, both Allen and Mana were out of breath. From laughing and dodging.

"You win," Mana said, throwing up his hands in surrender. While it was true that he had landed his fair share of hits it was also true that Allen was a much better shot. And the snow that he was still shaking from his hair was a testament to this fact.

Walking over to the front porch, which was sheltered and thus free from snow, Mana sat down to watch the little boy play. Allen had picked up a stick from the ground and was now using it to scratch at the snow on the sidewalk.

"I wonder what exactly he's doing?" Mana thought to himself as he watched. There was an intent expression on the little boy's face that seemed totally out of character for a child his age.

Allen scratched around in the snow for awhile and then he stopped, gazing down at the markings that he had made in the snow. With a far away expression in his gray eyes.

Getting to his feet Mana made his way over to the spot where Allen was standing and focused his gaze on the same spot that the child was staring at. Allen had drawn a circular design with strange little symbols.

"What is that Allen?" Mana asked, having never seen anything like it.

"It's a secret," Allen replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"A secret huh?" Mana repeated, his gaze shifting back and forth between the child and the strange little symbols. It seemed strange but Mana decided that, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really mean anything.

"Uh huh."

"Okay then," Mana said, reaching down and once again tousling the child's hair, causing it to stand on end. The boy's hair was damp, both due to the snow and the fact that he'd been sweating, and Mana decided that they had spent enough time outside. He didn't want to risk the little boy becoming ill. "I think we've been out here long enough. What do you say the two of us go inside and have some hot chocolate?"

"Okay!" Turning his attention back to the squiggles in the snow Allen quickly kicked at them, disrupting the snow so that the symbols were no longer there. Then, once that was complete, the child gazed up at his uncle. It seemed to be okay to go in now that Allen had done away with those funny little symbols that he had drawn in the snow; the so called secret that still had Mana somewhat confused. Although he decided not to pursue the matter.

Mana placed his hand on the little boy's back and gave him a gentle shove, pointing him in the direction of the front door. "Come on."

Allen ran over to the front door and, jumping up, grabbed the doorknob. The little boy opened the door and stepped inside, followed soon thereafter by Mana.

"Take off your shoes Allen," Mana directed as he removed his coat and then leaned forward to unlace his own shoes.

" 'Kay Mana." Sitting down on the ground Allen tugged his shoes off, not even bothering to unlace them first. The child tossed them aside but, after a stern look from Mana, quickly placed them neatly beside the door.

"That's better," Mana said as he pulled the child's coat off and hung it beside his own on the coat rack.

"Hot chocolate?" There was a hopeful expression in the child's gray eyes as he gazed up at Mana.

"Hot chocolate," Mana repeated, nodding his head. Together the two of them made their way into the kitchen where Mana set about making hot chocolate while Allen sat at the table and watched. "So did you have fun outside Allen?"

"Yea," Allen said, a smile spreading across his face. "Lotsa fun."

"Wonderful."

Once the hot chocolate was ready Mana filled two mugs with the steaming liquid, one of which he offered to Allen.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Mana smiled at the child as Allen blew at the steam that was rising from his mug. "Now what do you say we go into the sitting room and warm up? We can read a book or something."

"Yea!"

So Mana and Allen spent the rest of the evening sitting in front of the fireplace in the sitting room, warm and cozy, reading from some of Allen's new books.

All in all a perfect way to spend a winter's evening.

A/N - hope that you enjoyed this chapter and yes, the symbols that Allen was drawing was the score for the 14th's song. Thanks once again to everyone who is reading and enjoys this story. You guys are awesome.


	20. Illness

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I would once again like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of the wonderful people who are reading and who enjoy this story. Your continued support means the world to me. Thanks to: 14th Noah, Morfanerina, MoonlitMelody, Jenaminya, SSA Nicholas Reid, Allen's Lover, Elementstar, Chindu Prince of Darkness, Bloody Fang - Your NightMare, AnaInTheCorona, fan girl 666, xdevil-childx, LyssiBug, mysticwolf1896, Mesonoxian, key46812, PeanutAngel, Noah of Faith, Hesunohana, and crazy DGM fan! Each of your reviews brought a smile to my face! :)

Chapter Twenty - Illness

Mana was standing in the kitchen, washing the mountain of dishes from lunch. He was slightly surprised that there weren't more dishes; Allen hadn't seemed to have his normal appetite when Mana had given the child lunch. Of course he'd still eaten an obscene amount but it wasn't anywhere near the amount he normally ate. Mana was lost in thought about this strange occurrence when he realized that something seemed odd. He paused in his work and listened.

It didn't take long for the man to realize what it was that had aroused his suspicion. Even though there was a four year old and a puppy upstairs, if you didn't know that fact it would be impossible to guess.

Silence was all that he heard.

He had sent Allen and Star up to their room to play after lunch so he expected to hear at least some noise coming from upstairs. But there was nothing.

Not so much as a sound.

"This is unusual," Mana said to himself as he pulled his hands from the soapy water and dried them on a nearby hand towel. "I should probably go upstairs and make sure that the two of them aren't getting into any mischief."

After all, in the case of small children and pets, silence was never a good sign. And it hadn't taken Mana long to come to this conclusion. As a matter of fact it was one of the first things that he discovered about parenthood. Silence was a warning sign, almost always signaling trouble. So, with this thought in mind, Mana made his way upstairs to the room that belonged to Allen and, after knocking once, he opened the door and stepped inside the room.

"Allen," he called out as he stepped into the room, his gaze searching for the little boy. He saw the child lying in the floor, curled up into a ball, with Star at his side. This was unusual because, despite his young age, Allen rarely took naps in the afternoon. He always had way too much energy to just fall asleep.

"Allen," Mana said again as he walked across the room toward the spot where Allen was lying. "Are you alright?"

The only response he received for this question was a low moan from the child.

Instantly concerned Mana dropped to his knees at the child's side and gently pulled Allen into his arms. The first thing he noticed was that the little boy's body felt slightly warmer than normal, which only increased his concern. This indicated that he had a slight fever. "Hey little one," he said in a quiet voice. "Not feeling well?"

Allen shook his head before burying his face in Mana's shirt and wrapping his little fingers around the fabric in a death grip.

"I'm sorry that you don't feel well," Mana said, holding his nephew with one arm. He placed the back of his free hand across the little boy's forehead, attempting to gauge the severity of his fever.

The boy's skin was warm but Mana didn't think that it was anything too serious.

"Okay," Mana said, getting to his feet and attempting to fight off the feeling of panic that was threatening to overwhelm him. The little boy was sick and he was worried; he had no idea how to care for a sick child. "Let's get you changed into your pajamas and into bed."

"No," the child moaned, shaking his head.

"But you'll be more comfortable that way," Mana coaxed as he walked over to the dresser and pulled out Allen's pajamas.

"No."

"Okay little one," Mana said, realizing that the little boy was becoming upset. He knew that this wouldn't help the situation so he gave in. "You don't have to go to bed if you don't want to. But let's put on your pajamas anyway so you'll be more comfortable. Okay Allen?"

The little boy nodded, willing to give in to this request at least, and Mana quickly changed him into his little blue pajamas. Then the moment his clothes were changed Allen launched himself into his uncle's arms once more. Whimpering in distress the child wrapped his little arms around Mana's neck and placed his head on the man's shoulder. Mana felt bad for the little boy and began rubbing his back in a comforting manner.

Since Allen refused to go to bed Mana decided to go downstairs with the little boy. Walking across the room he grabbed one of the child's new picture books from the bookshelf and then made his way toward the door. "Come on Allen. We'll go downstairs and read for a little while. Would you like that?"

"Yea," the little boy said in a quiet voice.

This was so uncharacteristic for Allen but his fever didn't seem to be too severe. Hopefully he would recover from this illness quickly and go back to his normal behavior.

Mana carried the little boy downstairs and into the den. He sat down on the couch and held Allen in his lap, opening the book and holding it so that the child could see the pictures as he read to him. Allen leaned back against Mana's chest and gazed at the bright pages of the picture book that he was holding. The little boy felt bad but he was comforted by being held in Mana's lap.

Clearing his throat Mana began to read the book that he was holding open but his thoughts remained focused on the child that he was holding in his lap. It didn't take long for the little boy's breathing to even out, signaling that Allen had fallen asleep. Placing the book down on the sofa beside him Mana placed his chin on top of the little boy's hair. He could feel the warmth caused by the fever and couldn't help the feeling of panic that rose once more to torment him. He really didn't know how to handle a sick child but it appeared as though he was going to have to learn things the hard way.

Which seemed to be the ongoing theme.

"Maybe he'll feel better after a nap ," Mana thought to himself, adjusting the sleeping child that he held so that he could get to his feet without waking the boy.

He carried Allen upstairs to his room and placed the little boy in bed. Mana gently pulled the covers up, carefully tucking them in around the still form.

"Feel better little one," Mana whispered as he turned and walked away from the little boy's bed.

Mana made a move to leave the room but stopped short when he heard a soft whine behind him. For a moment he was afraid that Allen had woken up but when he turned it was to find Star gazing up at him.

"He'll be okay Star," Mana whispered to the little dog. "All he needs is some rest. Now come on."

The little dog made his way over to Mana and together the two of them left Allen's bedroom.

Mana made his way back downstairs to the kitchen and resumed washing the dishes. He needed something to keep his hands occupied. His thoughts, however, were squarely focused on the little boy who was sleeping upstairs.

"_I hope this is just a cold," _he thought to himself as he worked on the dishes. _"And not something more serious."_

* * *

A couple of hours passed and then Mana made the decision to go upstairs and check on Allen. He made his way back up to the little boy's room and, once he arrived, he opened the door as quietly as he could.

The first thing he noticed as he entered the room was the sound of the little boy coughing.

Mana quickly made his way across the room and leaned over the child. Allen was awake, probably due to the coughing fit that was currently racking his tiny body, and he gazed up at his uncle with wide gray eyes. Mana placed the back of his hand across Allen's forehead. It was immediately obvious that the little boy's fever had worsened in the couple of hours that he'd been sleeping and Mana felt guilty for leaving him alone.

The little boy's coughs ceased after a few minutes and he seemed to fall back into a restless sleep.

Mana had no real experience caring for the ill but he was desperate for some way to make Allen feel better. Thinking back to his own childhood Mana vaguely remembered that whenever he or Nicholas had been ill with a fever their mother would place a cool washcloth across their foreheads.

That had always seemed to help them so Mana decided that it was worth a try. It couldn't do any harm after all.

With this thought in mind Mana turned and left Allen's room. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen. When he entered the room Mana grabbed a porcelain bowl from the cupboard and then made his way back upstairs. He entered the bathroom that was across the hall from Allen's room, where he filled the bowl with cold water and grabbed a clean washcloth.

Once he'd gathered up these items Mana made his way back across the hall to Allen's bedroom. He placed the bowl on the bedside table and dipped the washcloth in the water. Then, after wringing out the excess water, Mana folded the washcloth and placed it across the little boy's forehead.

Allen opened his eyes the minute the damp washcloth touched his skin and he gazed up at Mana.

"Hey," Mana said in a quiet voice, sitting down on the edge of Allen's bed and wiping a strand of damp hair from the child's cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Throat hurts," the little boy replied in a soft voice, gazing up at Mana but making no attempt to get up from the bed. This was in direct contrast to his usual behavior; under normal circumstances if Allen was awake then he was up and doing something. Allen was an active child and the fact that he was choosing to lie in bed spoke volumes about just how bad the little boy felt.

"I'm sorry," Mana said, continuing the rub the little boy's hair. "Would you like a drink of water?"

Allen nodded.

"Okay," Mana said, getting to his feet. "I'm going to go downstairs and get you a glass of water. I'll be back in just a minute."

Mana once again left the little boy's bedroom and quickly made his way downstairs to the kitchen yet again. This time he pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with cold water.

Then he made his way back upstairs. Sitting on the edge of the bed once again Mana held the glass out to Allen. The little boy pulled himself to a sitting position and reached out to take the cup that Mana was offering him.

But his hands were shaking and he almost dropped it.

"Here," Mana said, holding the cup to the little boy's lips. "Let me help you."

Mana held the glass to Allen's lips and watched as the child drained the contents. Then the little boy lay down once more, his gray eyes wide and fever bright.

"This isn't good," Mana thought to himself as the little boy began to cough once more. He had hoped that Allen's illness was just a case of the common cold but he was beginning to suspect that it was something more serious.

"Mana," Allen whined, his gaze focused on his uncle. "I cold."

"I'll get you another blanket," Mana said, getting to his feet yet again. And as he walked across the room to the closet where he kept the spare blankets Mana decided that he needed to call a doctor. This wasn't something that he had wanted to do, since Allen was generally uncomfortable around strangers, but he was worried about the child and recognized the fact that he needed help.

Opening the linen closet Mana pulled out a thick quilt, which he then carried back over to the bed. Unfolding the quilt he placed it over the other blankets that already covered the bed.

And yet Allen continued to shiver.

"Allen," Mana said in a quiet voice. "I have to go downstairs and make a phone call. I'll be back up in a few minutes."

"No," Allen said in a hoarse whisper, shaking his head. The little boy reached out a hand toward his uncle, which made Mana feel even more guilty than before.

"I know," Mana said, once again running his hand through the boy's sweat dampened hair. "But I'll be right back."

Allen whimpered but made no further attempts to stop him.

Turning around Mana left the little boy's room and made his way downstairs to the sitting room, vaguely thinking as he did so that he had climbed the stairs at least a hundred times that day. Of course the rational part of him realized that it hadn't been anywhere near that many times but it felt like it.

Upon entering the sitting room Mana immediately made his way over to the telephone, which was positioned on a small table. Picking up the receiver he quickly dialed the number of the only doctor in town that he was familiar with.

"I really hope he's in," Mana muttered.

Thankfully the doctor answered the phone and Mana quickly explained the situation to the man. The doctor said that he would come over right away and Mana thanked him before hanging up the phone with a sigh.

"I hope I'm not overreacting to this," the man muttered as he once again ascended the stairs.

It was possible that Allen's illness wasn't anything serious but when it came to the little boy who meant everything to him then Mana would much rather ere on the side of caution.

After making the phone call that he knew Allen wasn't going to be happy about Mana returned to the little boy's room. Allen was once again coughing, this time leaning forward and clutching the blankets with his little hands.

Mana hurried over and began to pat the little boy on the back.

Allen continued to cough for a few minutes longer and then the fit subsided. Taking deep breaths the little boy crawled out from under the covers and over to Mana, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was feeling really bad by this point and wanted to feel the comfort of Mana's arms around him. Feeling sorry for the sick little boy Mana pulled Allen into his lap, grabbed the quilt and wrapped it around the child's small body. "Shh," he soothed as he rocked back and forth.

"Don' feel good," the child whined, beginning to cough once again.

"I know," Mana said, rubbing the little boy's back as he continued to rock back and forth.

Mana held the little boy in his arms until he heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. Hoping that it was the doctor Mana leaned forward and tucked a very uncooperative Allen into bed.

"No," Allen whined, attempting to wrap his arms around Mana's neck so that the man couldn't lay him down. "Don'."

"I have to answer the door Allen," Mana said as he removed the little boy's arms from around his neck. "But I'll be right back, I promise."

Tears were flowing from the child's gray eyes, which broke Mana's heart, but Allen made no further attempt to hold onto his uncle.

"I'll be right back," Mana repeated as he once again left the child's bedroom and traveled the familiar path downstairs. He was definitely getting his exercise today, that was for sure.

Mana made his way to the front door and opened it to reveal an elderly gentleman dressed in a dark suit and carrying a large black bag in his hand. The man smiled as Mana gestured for him to enter the house.

"Hello Mana," he said in a kind voice. "It's been awhile since I've seen you."

"What can I say Dr. Baker?" Mana said with a shrug. "I'm an incredibly healthy individual."

"You always have been," the doctor said with a smile. "Ever since you were a child. And speaking of children, where is this little one who's ill?"

"He's upstairs," Mana said, pointing in the general direction. "And I'm going to go ahead and warn you now, it's likely that Allen won't cooperate. He's wary around strangers."

"Alright," Dr. Baker said, nodding his head to show that he understood. He'd handled difficult children before so it wasn't anything that he couldn't handle. "So when exactly did you get married? You didn't invite me to the wedding."

"I'm not married," Mana said as he turned to lead the way up the stairs to Allen's room. "And Allen's not mine. Nicholas is his father."

"Your brother?" the doctor said, a note of incredulity in his voice. A mental image of the younger Walker sibling flashed into his mind and Dr. Baker couldn't help but be surprised. Out of the two brothers, Mana was the one that the doctor would have pegged as a family man.

Mana nodded as the two of them made their way toward Allen's room. Dr. Baker had been his family doctor since he was a child and the elderly gentleman was also familiar with his brother. "He had some things that he needed to take care of after the death of his wife so he left little Allen in my care."

"I see."

By this time they had reached the bedroom and Mana reached out and opened the door. "See Allen, I told you that I would come back."

Allen's gaze shifted toward his uncle the moment that he heard Mana's voice but the child visibly stiffened the minute he saw the strange man who was following along behind his uncle. And the look in his eyes said, as plain as words would have, that he was thinking about making a break for it.

Mana noticed this and he quickly walked over and pulled Allen into his lap. With the child's fever so high he didn't want to give Allen the chance to get over exited by the situation. "It's alright little one. This is Dr. Baker and he's here to make you feel better."

"No," Allen whined, shaking his head.

"It's alright son," Dr. Baker said in a gentle voice as he walked over to the spot where Mana was holding the child. He placed his black bag on the floor and then knelt so that he was at eye level with the little boy. "I knew your father, did you know that?"

Allen shook his head, his gray eyes focused on the man. He still wasn't certain what to think about the man and resolved to keep an eye on him.

"Well I did," Dr. Baker said, taking in the child's appearance as he spoke to him. "I treated him when he was a little boy as well. And you look a great deal like him."

Allen smiled at that and seemed to relax a small degree.

Dr. Baker continued to speak to Allen in a gentle voice as he examined the little boy. For his part Allen still seemed a little wary but he didn't fight against the doctor.

But this was due mainly to the fact that he was still being held securely in Mana's arms. He felt safe, despite the stranger's exam.

Once Dr. Baker had completed his examination he gathered up his instruments and got to his feet. "May I have a word with you Mana?"

Mana nodded and placed Allen back in bed. The child was exhausted by this point and he didn't protest as he was once again tucked into bed.

Once the child was tucked in Mana and Dr. Baker retired to the hallway, where the doctor turned his gaze to his long time patient and friend.

"It's influenza," he pronounced, his voice solemn.

Mana gasped, having hoped that the news would be better. His hands began to shake as he ran them nervously through his hair.

"Calm down," Dr. Baker said, reaching out and placing a comforting hand on Mana's shoulder. "There's a good chance that the child will recover. I will leave you some medicine to give to him and return to check on him tomorrow."

"Thank you," Mana said, fighting to regain his composure. This to would pass, he just had to keep telling himself that.

"You've done an excellent job of caring for him so far," Dr. Baker said as he prepared to depart. "Just keep doing what you can to keep him comfortable. Make sure that he drinks plenty of fluids and keep him as quiet as possible."

"Right," Mana said with a nod.

Kneeling down Dr. Baker opened his black bag and pulled out a couple of paper packets. "Mix this with a glass of water and give it to him. It will help with the fever."

"Thank you," Mana said as he accepted the paper packets and watched as the doctor got to his feet. "I'll see you out."

Mana walked the doctor to the front door and offered his hand. Dr. Baker accepted the hand that the younger man was holding out to him and they shook.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he repeated as he stepped outside.

Mana nodded and watched as he departed. Then, once the doctor was out of sight, Mana closed the door and returned to his nephew's room. Allen had fallen asleep and Mana once again dipped the washcloth in cool water and placed it across the child's forehead.

He would do what he could to keep the child comfortable and hope for the best. Because that was really all that he could do.

A/N - Poor little Allen! Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next we meet, farewell.


	21. Comfort

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I would once again like to thank the wonderful people who submitted reviews for the last chapter: MuffinStealer A.K.A Moth, crazy DGM fan, Arceus the Creator, Morfanerina, Mesonoxian, AnaInTheCorona, Noah of Faith, Bree, key46812, Jenaminya, fan girl 666, Bloody Fang - Your NightMare, LyssiBug, SSA Nicholas Reid, PeanutAngel, usuilove21, fluffikins, mysticwolf1896, and LilyMoonstone! Thanks again guys, you're all awesome!

Chapter Twenty-One - Comfort

For the next two weeks Mana spent all of his time caring for his desperately ill child. Despite the medicine that Dr. Baker had left for him Allen's cough grew worse and his fever persisted. All in all, the little boy was absolutely miserable. And Mana was so worried about the brown haired child that he actually began sleeping on a pallet in the floor of the child's room. He wanted to be as close to Allen as possible at all times. That way he could listen to Allen's breathing and assure himself that his child was still alive.

Because his greatest fear was losing the boy that he had come to cherish. Allen really felt like his son at this point and Mana knew that he would be completely lost without him.

The little boy was the center of his world.

So, after giving the little boy his medicine and tucking him back into bed, Mana crawled under the covers in his makeshift bed. He fought back a groan as he listened to his joints popping in protest. It wasn't exactly comfortable, in fact it was about as far away from comfortable as it was possible to be, but Mana could deal with it. Because he wanted to be close to Allen just in case the child needed him in the night.

It took him a little while but Mana finally managed to drift off into a somewhat troubled sleep. This had been the normal routine ever since that first night after Allen's diagnosis of influenza. After that day Mana hadn't been able to get a decent night's sleep. His dreams were haunted by visions of a pale and lifeless child although the features were so blurred that he couldn't tell if it was his child or someone else's.

Although in his heart he knew that it was Allen. And that thought absolutely horrified him; so much so that he actually began to cry.

The man tossed and turned on his makeshift bed, troubled by the dreams that had came to haunt him once more. However his eyes popped open reflexively when he felt a small hand touch his face in a gentle caress. Gazing up he saw that Allen had crawled out of bed and had came to comfort him, kneeling beside him with a concerned look in his eyes. The little boy held a tiny hand to his face; he had actually wiped a tear from Mana's cheek.

"I was crying…" Mana thought to himself as he pulled himself into a sitting position. Then his somewhat confused brain focused on the fact that Allen was actually out of bed. And the little boy seemed more lucid than he had in several days. "Allen…"

"You sad Mana?" the little boy asked, his voice hoarse from illness and lack of use. There was a concerned expression in his gray eyes as he gazed down at his uncle. It wasn't often that he saw Mana cry and he was worried.

"No Allen," Mana said, reaching out and wrapping his arms around the boy's slender body. The illness had taken it's toll on the already small child; having been unable to eat anything other than broth, Allen had lost a substantial amount of weight. This had been yet another source of concern for the child's uncle since, despite the huge amount of food the child could eat, he hadn't really had any extra weight to lose. "It was just a dream. I'm actually happy."

This statement seemed to confuse the little boy and he gazed at his uncle as though he thought that the man had lost his mind. Which wasn't an entirely new concept; Allen gave him those kinds of looks quite frequently. "Why?"

"No reason," Mana replied, once again hugging the child that he held in his protective embrace. He didn't want Allen to know exactly how close to death he had came so he chose to keep the reason for his happiness from the child.

"You weird," Allen muttered, allowing his uncle to hold him. He still felt ill and the feeling of Mana's arms around him was comforting.

"I know," Mana said with a smile. "So how are you feeling?"

"Okay," Allen replied, wiping a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. "Hungry."

And that was the best thing that Mana had heard in nearly two weeks. During those horrible days when Allen's very survival had been questionable he had refused all food. He didn't want anything and Mana actually had to force him to drink water. That was the part of the boy's illness that had concerned him the most. The seriousness of the situation was put into sharp perspective when Allen refused food.

The boy NEVER refused food.

"What would you like to eat?" Mana asked as he got to his feet and scooped the child up into his arms.

"Real food," Allen replied, his gray eyes focused intently on the face of his uncle. He hadn't been fond of the chicken broth that Mana had given to him during his illness and he didn't want anymore of that.

He wanted something good.

"We'll see what we can round up," Mana said with a smile as he carried the little boy out of his room. He would have to find something that was easy on the stomach as well as tasty so that he could keep Allen happy.

Because that was the most important thing.

* * *

Once Mana had given Allen breakfast he gave him a dose of the medicine that the doctor had left and then put the child back to bed. He was still running a fever and Mana didn't want to take any chances with his health. Because, while it was true that Allen seemed to be feeling better, he hadn't recovered just yet.

Of course Allen wasn't happy about being put back to bed and the little boy made no attempt to keep his displeasure a secret.

"Mana," he whined as his uncle attempted to tuck the blankets around his small body. He fought against the blankets but Mana resolutely tucked them in around him despite his protests. "I don' wanna go to bed!"

It was bad enough that Mana had forced him to drink that bitter medicine but now he was making him go back to bed.

Allen was tired of bed.

And irritated over this entire situation.

"I know Allen," Mana said, forcing himself to be stern with the child even though he wanted to give in. To be completely honest he was almost happy that Allen was making such a fuss because it meant that the child was recovering. Meant that he was going back to his normal personality which was hopefully a sign that the danger had passed. "But you need to get some rest and recover your strength."

Allen gazed at his uncle's face, trying to determine whether or not he would be able to get his way in this. Judging by the uncharacteristically stern expression in Mana's eyes, Allen realized that he wasn't going to win this battle.

So the child leaned back against the pillow, a grumpy expression appearing on his face as he crossed his little arms over his chest.

"Don't look at me like that Allen," Mana said as he walked over to the bookcase and grabbed the child's favorite book. He was fighting the urge to give in to the child's demands but he knew that he needed to remain firm this time. It was for the child's own good. There was a chance that the little boy would relapse if Mana allowed him to get out of bed too early. "It's not that bad."

"Is too," Allen said sullenly, arms still crossed over his small chest.

Mana chuckled, grateful even for Allen's bad mood. If the child had the energy to put up this much fight then the chances were good that he would soon make a full recovery.

"Tell you what," Mana said, sitting down beside the child on the bed and leaning his back against the headboard. He gazed at the child as he opened the book that he held. "Dr. Baker is supposed to come by to check on you later today. You can ask him if you can get up."

Allen frowned, thinking about the elderly man who had came by to see him several times. The man who had known his father. "He won' say yes."

"Then I guess you're stuck kiddo," Mana said, sympathy in his voice even though he was the cause of the child's irritation. He knew that it was hard on Allen being forced to stay in bed but hopefully it wouldn't be for much longer. "How about I read your favorite book?"

Allen nodded although he still looked unhappy about the situation. He liked for Mana to read to him but he would much rather get out of bed and do something fun.

Smiling at the disgruntled child Mana cleared his throat and began to read. Allen's attention was focused on the pictures however, halfway through the book, the child's breathing evened out, signaling that he had fallen asleep.

Which of course made Mana smile and shake his head ever so slightly. Despite his protests about being forced to stay in bed it was obvious that the child was still weak and needed rest.

"Get well soon little one," Mana whispered as he smoothed the boy's hair away from his face and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Mana got to his feet, placing the book on the nightstand as he did so. He quickly cleared away the blankets that he'd used to construct his makeshift pallet, leaving the floor uncharacteristically clean.

"I'm sure it'll be a mess soon enough," Mana thought to himself as he left Allen's room and made his way downstairs.

He was still concerned about his child but the fact that Allen's fever had gone down along with the fact that he'd eaten breakfast did wonders for him. The boy was feeling better so hopefully the worst of the illness was past.

"I hope I don't have to go through this again," he muttered as he made his way down the hall to his own room. He hadn't been sleeping well and decided that, since Allen was asleep, he would take a little nap.

Hopefully that would make him feel better and take away the dark circles that had appeared underneath his eyes.

"I hope so," he thought as he lay down on the bed, not even bothering to change clothes or pull down the covers. "Because I'm starting to look like a raccoon."

That thought amused the man in his sleep deprived state and Mana drifted off to sleep with a small smile on his face.

Hopefully the worst was behind him now.

A/N - hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who has left a review for this story. Your support is greatly appreciated.


	22. Beginning to Forget

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I would once again like to extend my thanks to my wonderful reviewers! usuilove21, 14th Noah, SSA Nicholas Reid, key46812, Kitsune & tora, LyssiBug, Arceus the Creator, NitenGAle, LilyMoonstone, fan girl 666, Jenaminya, AnaInTheCorona, Bloody Fang - Your NightMare, Mesonoxian, Noah of Faith, and PeanutAngel! Your continued support is greatly appreciated; thank you all so much!

Chapter Twenty-Two - Beginning to Forget

Several months had passed since news of Nicholas' death had reached them and, although Mana still thought a great deal about the brother that he had lost, it seemed almost as though Allen had forgotten about his father. In the beginning the young boy had spoken often about his father however now the topic never came up. Which made Mana sad and yet at the same time he couldn't help thinking that maybe this was for the best. After all, when his father had died the child had began to have nightmares, but now those seemed to have vanished along with Allen's memories of Nicholas.

Mana had this suspicion for awhile before he was given concrete proof. And the proof that he received both excited and saddened him; a strange feeling to be completely honest.

Allen and Star were playing upstairs and, after awhile, Mana went to check on them. He had learned the hard way that the child and the dog should never be left alone for extended periods of time. So he made his way upstairs and opened the door of the little boy's bedroom. Allen was sitting in the middle of the floor in his bedroom, stacking his wooden blocks into a tower. And every time that he got the tower built Star would leap into it, knocking the blocks to the floor with a crash. It was obvious by the expression on the child's face that Allen was growing frustrated with this and Mana decided to intervene before a fight broke out.

It seemed to him as though he were always playing diplomat.

"Hey Allen," he called out as he stepped into the room. "How would you and Star like to go for a walk? We could go to the park."

Allen's gaze immediately shifted to Mana and a broad smile appeared on his face. He seemed utterly delighted by this suggestion and nodded enthusiastically.

"Park!" the little boy squealed, jumping to his feet. All animosity toward his dog seemed to be forgotten in his excitement.

The weather had turned warm as spring was approaching and Mana thought that the fresh air would do them all some good. Walking over to the dresser he grabbed Star's leash from the top and then turned his attention back to the child and the dog. Star was nudging at the blocks, as though in the hopes of convincing Allen to stack them up again. But Allen's attention was focused elsewhere. The little boy was currently looking under the bed and Mana gazed at him in confusion, wondering what on earth the boy could be doing with his head shoved under the bed.

"What are you doing Allen?" he asked as he walked over and clipped the leash onto Star's collar.

"Lost my shoe," Allen muttered, holding out his left foot so that Mana could see that it was clad only in a sock while the other foot was covered by a shoe.

"Allen," Mana scolded lightly as he got down on his hands and knees to look under the bed for the child's missing shoe. "I've told you to put your shoes at the foot of the bed when you take them off at night."

"Forgot," Allen said, spying the missing shoe at the far end of the bed. Without a second thought the boy scrambled under the bed to retrieve the shoe and when he emerged, on the other side of the bed, his brown hair was covered in cobwebs.

"Allen," Mana said again, shaking his head as he got to his feet and walked over to the boy, followed closely behind by Star. Reaching out he quickly pulled the cobwebs from the boy's hair and dusted them off the back of his black vest. "Why didn't you go around to the other side to get it instead of crawling underneath?"

Allen shrugged.

With a sigh Mana decided to drop the whole thing. It wasn't as though he could expect his four year old to keep clean anyway. "Hurry up and put on your shoe so we can go."

Allen nodded and quickly forced his foot into his shoe, without even bothering to untie it first. The child stomped his little foot a couple of times, forcing the shoe into place, and then he turned and offered Mana a wide smile. "Ready," he announced.

Chucking softly to himself Mana held out the end of Star's leash. "Here. Take your dog."

Allen grabbed the leash that Mana was holding out to him and quickly wrapped the end around his wrist. That way he could keep control of his dog and still have the use of his right hand.

"Come on," Mana said, leading the way toward the door. Allen and Star followed closely behind and together the trio made their way downstairs and over to the front door. Mana stopped long enough to grab his topcoat and shrug it on and then he turned to the child who was standing just behind him. "Alright Allen. What's the rule when we go out?"

"I has to stay right by your side," Allen said, repeating the by now familiar rule.

Mana nodded. "That's correct." Having lost Allen one too many times Mana had decided upon this rule and had made Allen promise to abide by it.

And the punishment for noncompliance was losing the privilege of going outside, which Allen absolutely hated. A fact that almost guaranteed that he would follow the rule, whether he wanted to or not. A good thing considering Mana wasn't entirely certain how much more his heart could take. He would swear that he lost a good five years of life every time the boy decided to wander off.

"Let's go!" Allen exclaimed, breaking into Mana's thoughts.

Glancing down at the child Mana saw that he had an impatient look in his eyes. And, judging by the fact that he was bouncing up and down, Star was equally as impatient.

"Alright," Mana said, reaching out and pulling the door open. Together the trio stepped out into the bright sunlight, with Mana pausing briefly to lock the door behind them.

"So are we going to the park?" Mana asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes!" Allen exclaimed, while Star issued a series of ear piercing yips.

"Alright then," Mana said with a smile, setting off down the sidewalk. He consciously kept his stride shorter than normal, so that Allen could keep up, and he listened as the child chatted happily to him and to Star.

The park was located in the center of town and it took a decent amount of time to reach however Mana kept the pace nice and slow for Allen's sake. It wasn't as if they were in a hurry anyway. They had nothing of importance to do on this bright sunny day except to enjoy it.

And Mana fully intended to do just that.

When the park came into view Allen began to grow excited and Mana could tell, by the look on his face, that he was fighting the urge to run off. And he was proud of the fact that the little boy managed to hold himself in check and remain at his side.

"Go ahead Allen," Mana said the moment they stepped into the grass of the park. There was a grove of shade trees in one corner of the park and this was the spot that both Mana and Allen favored. It was just barely visible upon entering the park and Mana decided to allow Allen to run on ahead. After all, the little boy had done such a good job of staying with him and he should still be able to see him.

Allen gave Mana a bright smile before dashing off, with Star at his heels.

Mana followed along behind the energetic duo at a much more leisurely pace. As long as he could still see Allen he could maintain his sanity and the little boy was plainly visible amongst the grove of trees where they always went. When Mana finally reached his favorite spot under a particularly large tree he sat down and pressed his back against the trunk of the tree. Stretching his legs out in front of him the young man focused his gaze once more on the little boy.

Allen was holding Star's leash up in the air and waving a ball in front of him. Mana opened his mouth to tell Allen to stop being mean to the dog when he realized what it was that the child was trying to do.

Allen was attempting to teach Star to walk on his back legs and was using the ball as encouragement.

"Come on Star," Allen called out as he took a couple of backward steps, the ball still held just out of the little dog's reach.

Placing his hands behind his head Mana smiled as he watched the two of them and basked in the unseasonable warmth. A nap would be heavenly but Mana knew better than to take his eyes off the child who was playing a few yards away.

That was asking for trouble and Mana was loathe to ever go through something like that again. Having lost Allen on more than one occasion, he knew better than to just assume that Allen would stay close by.

* * *

The small family spent the entire afternoon at the park and, having spent most of his time running around and playing with Star, it wasn't surprising that Allen was exhausted when Mana decided that it was time for them to go home. This decision was brought about when Allen walked over and sat down beside his uncle, Star's leash still wrapped around his slender wrist. The little boy leaned up against Mana, his eyes half open.

"Are you tired Allen?" Mana asked as he tousled the little boy's hair.

"No," Allen replied, the drowsiness plainly audible in his voice.

"Uh huh," Mana said with a chuckle. Getting to his feet Mana took Star's leash and then scooped Allen up into his arms. "I think it's time for us to go home."

Allen didn't protest, which was a further testament to the fact that he was tired. He simply placed his head on Mana's shoulders and wrapped his little arms around the man's neck.

"Did you have a good time Allen?" Mana asked, as he began the journey home.

"Yes," Allen said, a smile appearing on his face. "Thank you Father."

Mana drew up short, completely shocked by the little boy's words. Had Allen really just called him Father?

"What was that Allen?" Mana asked, wanting to know if he'd actually heard the boy's words correctly.

"Said thank you," Allen repeated in a soft voice.

"Okay," Mana said, continuing on his way. He must have heard wrong but he couldn't deny that the single word that he'd thought the boy had said had caused his heart to flutter.

"I hope he isn't forgetting about his father," Mana thought to himself, even though he now considered Allen to be his own son. He loved the child as though Allen were his own but Nicholas deserved to be remembered.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks so much to all of my wonderful readers. You're reviews always make me smile and I just want to let you know how much they are appreciated.


	23. Anniversary

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I would once again like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter: Mesonoxian, usuilove21, 14thEternityNightMare, Jenaminya, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, fan girl 666, LadyDrago88, AnaInTheCorona, Noah of Faith, Larkfall, BlueStar, crazy DGM fan, and SSA Nicholas Reid. You are all wonderful, thank you so much for the reviews! They are all greatly appreciated.

Chapter Twenty-Three - Anniversary

After traveling around to various countries, in search of Innocence as per his orders, General Cross Marian once again found himself in Britain. And it seemed odd to him that, out of all the places that he could be, he should find himself in this corner of the world at this particular time.

It had been exactly a year since the death of Nicholas Walker and Cross found that the little golem Timcanpy seemed somewhat restless. Which made the creature even more annoying than normal. Instead of sitting on top of Cross' hat, as he so often did, the little creature flitted around in an almost anxious manner.

"What the hell is your problem?" Cross demanded as he reached a hand out and seized hold of the little creature.

Wrong move on his part.

Opening his mouth Timcanpy sank his sharp little teeth into the flesh of Cross' hand, going completely through the fabric of his glove. With a foul curse Cross released his hold on the golem and was forced to watch as Timcanpy flew away.

"Damn it all to the bloody bowels of hell!" Cross exclaimed loudly as he glanced down at his ravaged hand. The fabric of his glove was torn and he could plainly see the angry red flesh that Timcanpy's teeth had shredded. He wanted nothing more than to let the obnoxious little creature go and get himself lost somewhere but he knew that he couldn't allow that to happen.

He needed Timcanpy, which meant that he would once again be forced to track down the creature.

"This is becoming an every other day occurrence," Cross thought, his mood foul as he set out in search of the 'gift' that had been given to him by the Musician.

And as he walked along the red haired Exorcist General once again cursed the young Noah who had black-mailed him into taking the golem. "With two the License was given," he muttered to himself in an irritated tone, thinking back to the parting words of the Musician. Which translated into he needed Timcanpy in order to find the person to whom the License of the Player had been given. And that meant that he had to find the little winged annoyance before anything happened to him.

"After this I'm going to lock him in my suitcase and go and have a drink," Cross muttered darkly.

It didn't take the general long to catch a glimpse of gold through the trees and he quickened his pace, hoping to catch up with Timcanpy before the creature had the chance to go somewhere else. He was intent upon seizing the golem however Cross stopped short when he heard the sound of someone speaking.

The voices sounded familiar and Cross quickly ducked behind a tree and out of sight.

"Lord Millennium," a young girl's voice said, sounding concerned. "Are you sure you're alright? You seem preoccupied today."

"I'm fine Road," a VERY familiar voice said, speaking to the owner of the first voice.

"You're thinking about HIM again aren't you?" Road continued, knowing that there was something wrong with the Millennium Earl.

"No."

A smirk appeared on Cross' face as he realized that Timcanpy had led him directly to the Millennium Earl and the lone survivor of the Clan of Noah. His hand went to the handle of his Anti-Akuma firearm, itching to draw Judgment and finish this war for good.

"Then what?" Road persisted.

"It's the brat," the Earl said, anger appearing in his voice. "I killed the parents but I know that the brat's still out there somewhere."

Cross halted a split second before he would have drawn Judgment. They were searching for Allen!

Despite any personal feelings he might have Cross knew that he would have to travel to the house where the Musician's brother lived with the brat's brat. He couldn't let the Earl find them. Reaching out Cross seized Timcanpy by the tail and pulled the golem along, being careful not to make a sound. As much as he wanted to fight the Millennium Earl he needed to get out of this forest without being seen by the fat man.

There would be time later for him to finish that battle but for now he had more important things to do.

Cross quickly traveled to the town where the Musician's remaining family resided, with Timcanpy leading the way. The little creature seemed well aware of the danger that the son of his former master was in and perhaps he did know.

After all he had been the one to find the Millennium Earl.

"Damn it," Cross swore, hating the fact that the Musician had him dancing to his tune even from the other side of the grave. He once again found himself wishing that it were possible to kill someone more than once.

Because he would like nothing better than to knock that brat around for awhile. It would take away some of the anger that he was currently feeling.

But he would have to dwell on his feelings of animosity toward the Musician at a later time. For now he needed to make certain that the Millennium Earl didn't discover the whereabouts of the fallen Noah's child.

As he walked down the street toward Mana's house, Cross reached a hand into the inside pocket of his coat, right over his heart, and felt the coldness of the little coffin shaped charm that he kept there. This was the last thing that he had wanted to use but it was the only sure fire way to make certain that the fat ass Millennium Earl didn't find Allen.

When Cross arrived at the house where Allen lived with his uncle he ducked around the side of the building, hoping that no one inside the house happened to see him. He didn't want to have to make small talk and he definitely didn't want to explain what he was doing here.

Because the explanation would more than likely land him in the asylum.

Standing as far away from any windows as he could get Cross wrapped his fingers around the coffin shaped charm and pulled it from his pocket. He gazed at the object that he held in his hand for the briefest of moments, the shadow of sadness flashing in his one visible eye, and then he placed it on the ground.

"Forgive me," he whispered as he held up his hand and began to chant a magical spell.

Once the spell had been given the black coffin grew to life size and Cross quickly removed the chains that were wrapped around it. Then the Exorcist held out his hand yet again and began another spell.

This one was the release spell.

Once the incantation had been spoken the coffin opened to reveal a woman, wearing a black ball gown and a mask to cover her face. Cross felt a momentary stab of guilt as she moved to stand behind him but he forced it to the back of his mind.

Now was not the time for that shit.

"Magdala Curtain Activate!"

The masked woman opened her mouth and began to sing, her haunting voice filling the air and causing unwanted memories to flash through Cross' mind. This was the only thing he could use to keep Allen hidden from the Earl but he desperately wished that it hadn't came down to it.

He tried not to use this particular weapon. The repercussions were always so high that he had to get drunk out of his mind just to forget what he had done.

"Stupid brat," he found himself once again cursing the Musician. If only the fallen Noah hadn't turned suicidal they could have stood a real chance of finishing the Earl off once and for all. But the brat had gone off on his own after the attack on his family and that had resulted in his death.

And Cross' current predicament.

"Why do I get myself involved in things like this?" Cross muttered angrily to himself as he sat down to wait out the night. Hopefully the Millennium Earl would give up his search for Allen once the anniversary of the Musician's death had passed.

"Because you're a lot nicer than you pretend to be," a musical voice seemed to echo through his mind.

Maria had often told him that there was a nice guy buried beneath his hard exterior but he knew that this had been merely wishful thinking on her part. He wasn't a nice guy and he never had been.

"Always so negative," another voice joined in, this one lower and more gentle.

Lyssa.

FLASHBACK

"I can't believe that General Cross Marian has actually consented to take on an apprentice…"

"I can't believe that girl's actually brave enough to go with him…"

Cross had heard the words spoken by the various members of the Black Order of course but he had pretended not to. It hadn't been his idea to take on an apprentice, since Maria was the only one whose company he could stand for any length of time, but if the girl insisted upon tagging along then that was her mistake.

He wouldn't change his travel plans nor would he coddle her during their travels. She would either learn to survive or she would die. It was as simple as that.

"General Cross…"

The red haired general drew up short and turned to face the person who had called out to him. Gazing down he saw a young girl, seeming to be around the age of eighteen or nineteen, with chestnut brown hair and large brown eyes.

Doe eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Cross was in a bad mood, having been deprived of alcohol since the previous night. And Maria was on assignment without him, which only served to further his irritation.

"My name is Lyssa Wolfe," the girl replied, seeming not the slightest bit intimidated by the man's harsh words. "And I'm the apprentice that you didn't ask for but are stuck with none the less."

Surprised by her bold words Cross glared at the young girl and he found that he was somewhat impressed when she didn't so much as flinch under his harsh gaze.

She merely glared back at him.

Turning away from this girl Cross continued walking down the hall. "You will address me as Master Cross from now on girl."

"Right," Lyssa said as she fell into step behind the red haired Exorcist whom almost everyone at the order was either afraid of or disgusted by.

Cross cleared his throat.

"Sorry," Lyssa said, although she sounded less than remorseful. "Master."

* * *

Cross shook his head, forcing his thoughts away from the past. He had to concentrate on his guard duty and then, once the threat was gone, he had to get the hell away from this place.

And get wasted.

A/N - I'm REALLY sorry that this was such a late update. I haven't had the best of luck as of recently and my writing suffered for it. But hopefully things will be better now and I can get back to regular updates. That's the plan at any rate. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, even though Allen wasn't even in it. Needed some plot building. The Millennium Earl is still searching for Allen, which spells trouble for our little hero. Thanks again for reading, you guys make my efforts worthwhile.


	24. Whispers

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - I would once again like to thank the people who reviewed the previous chapter: LyssiBug, AnaInTheCorona, LadyDrago88, Styx, key46812, PeanutAngel, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, CrimsonLaurana, fan girl 666, crazy DGM fan, mysticwolf1896, Jenaminya, usuilove21, Noah of Faith, TwistofFate, and truegenius13! Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! Each brought a smile to my face.

Chapter Twenty-Four - Whispers

The house was enveloped in darkness, which was somewhat frightening to the small boy who was lying awake in his room. For a moment all the child could do was gaze around, the shadows in his room caused by the moonlight only adding to the feelings of fear that he was already experiencing. Allen had been sound asleep when he had heard the sound of someone calling out to him, in a voice that was just a whisper.

An unfamiliar whisper.

This wasn't the first time that this had happened but this time the boy made no attempt to find the owner of the voice. It had gotten him into trouble the last time and Mana had told him that if it happened again then they would look for the voices together. So, taking a deep breath, Allen slid from beneath his blankets and climbed out of his bed. Dressed only in his pajamas the little boy left his room and crept silently down the hall to Mana's room.

The door had been left slightly ajar and Allen placed both of his little hands on the door and gave it a shove. The door opened with a quiet creak and Allen stepped inside. This room was just as dark but Allen could hear the sound of snoring coming from the bed in the center of the room and the child made his way toward the sound.

When he reached the bedside the brown-haired child reached out and grasped the sleeve of Mana's shirt, giving it a slight tug.

Mana let out a startled snore but didn't open his eyes or otherwise acknowledge the little boy who was desperately trying to get his attention.

So Allen tried once again to gain his attention. Still grasping Mana's shirtsleeve Allen pulled on it once again, a little harder this time. He needed for Mana to wake up and refused to take no for an answer. Because the whispers had scared as well as confused him and he wanted both answers and comfort from his guardian. And knew that he had to awaken Mana in order to gain either of these things.

"Mana…"

Mana awoke to the feeling of a small hand clutching at the sleeve of his night shirt and for a moment he was half asleep and confused. What the… "Nicholas…"

"No…" The little voice that was calling out to him had a plaintive quality to it. "Allen."

"Allen," Mana repeated, now fully alert. Pulling himself to a sitting position he gazed over at the brown haired child who was standing at his bedside. He could just barely see Allen's silhouette in the darkness and Mana found himself vaguely wondering what time it was. Definitely not time to get up, that was for sure. So what exactly had brought the child to his room at this unholy hour? "What are you doing up at this time of night?"

"They calling me again," the child whispered, a note of fear in his voice as he gazed at Mana through the darkness.

"Who's calling you?" Mana asked as he pulled the child up and into his lap. The child must have had a nightmare or something; that was the only way to explain this rather unusual conversation.

"The voices from before," Allen whispered, clutching at the fabric of Mana's nightshirt as though it were his lifeline. The only thing that was keeping him afloat in turbulent waters. "An' you… you made me promise not to go off 'lone again."

Now Mana knew exactly what the little boy was talking about and he felt a shiver run down his spine at the memory. He recalled the first time that Allen had made the claim that someone was calling out to him. It had been that day that he had wandered out into a snowstorm and almost died of hypothermia. If it hadn't been for that red haired man named Cross then it was highly likely that Allen wouldn't have survived that day.

"What do the voices tell you?" Mana asked as he held the little boy in his arms. Allen seemed shaken by this dream or whatever it had been and Mana wanted to reassure him that he was safe. "What do they want?"

"Not sure," Allen mumbled, his face pressed against Mana's chest. "They wan'… wan' something. Don' know what."

Mana could tell that this conversation was upsetting the child so he decided not to press the boy for further details. Allen would disclose them when he was ready. "Shh," he soothed as he embraced the little boy, rocking him back and forth gently. "It's alright Allen. You don't have to do anything. Just ignore the voices."

This seemed like the best thing to tell the child, in Mana's opinion. After all he was more than likely dreaming the whole thing, even though Allen himself denied that it was a dream wholeheartedly.

To him the voices were real and they were obviously scaring him.

"Come on kiddo," Mana said, placing Allen beside him in the large bed. He could tell that Allen was still upset about the dream and he thought that perhaps the child would be comforted sleeping here with him. "It's too late for us to search for anyone tonight so how about you sleep here with me?"

" 'Kay," Allen said, his voice drowsy. The note of fear was no longer there and that made Mana feel better.

Pleased that the situation had been taken care of Mana pulled the blanket up around both of them and listened as the little boy's breathing evened out, signaling that he had fallen asleep. With a sigh, Mana turned back onto his side. "I hope that these dreams don't become a regular occurrence. We both need our sleep."

* * *

The sunlight spilling into his room through the single window awoke Mana the next morning, much earlier than he would have liked to get up. He'd had a difficult time going back to sleep after the incident the night before and he stifled a yawn as he gazed over at the spot where he had placed Allen.

The boy was gone.

Panic seized hold of Mana as he tossed back the covers, searching for the little boy. He remembered Allen telling him that someone was calling out to him and he felt his heart begin to race.

"Please no…"

The man's heart began to pound so rapidly that he was almost afraid that it would burst out of his chest. This couple together with his rapid breathing made Mana feel somewhat light headed but he quickly shook off this feeling. He was terrified that Allen had decided to search for the voices again and he jumped to his feet and dashed from his room, not even bothering to put on his robe. Mana quickly made his way down the hall to Allen's room and stepped inside, his gaze searching for any sign of Allen.

Nothing.

"No… no…"

His pace quickened as Mana made his way downstairs, now desperate to find the little boy.

Mana searched the kitchen first but, finding no signs of the child there, he made his way down the hall to the sitting room. And that's when he heard the soft sound of music coming from behind the room's closed door. Reaching out Mana grasped the doorknob and turned it, opening the door as quietly as possible.

Allen was standing at the piano, his little fingers practically dancing over the keys. The song that he was playing was different from the lullaby that Mana had heard him play before but just like the lullaby this tune also had a haunting quality to it.

"Nicholas must have taught him to play," Mana found himself thinking as he stepped inside the room and sat down on the sofa.

Allen didn't even seem to register the fact that his uncle had entered the room, so caught up was he in the song that he was playing. There was a far off look in the child's gray eyes as the notes of the song filled the air and Mana found himself vaguely wondering what the little boy was thinking about. And why exactly, every time that something traumatic happened, he inevitably ended up at the piano.

During difficult times he seemed to be drawn to the piano, as though music could help him deal with the pain and get through the difficulties in life.

"He really does play beautifully," Mana thought as he listened to the haunting little tune. This reminded him of the evenings that he had spent listening to Nicholas play and he found that he was comforted by the music as well.

As the last notes of the song faded away Allen turned away from the piano and for the first time noticed that Mana was in the room. A smile spread across the boy's face as he leapt down from the piano stool and practically ran toward the man.

"Mana!"

"Good morning Allen," Mana said as the little body collided with his own. "You're up awfully early this morning."

"Couldn' sleep," Allen said, smiling as Star emerged from beneath the piano stool and came to stand beside him. The little dog had been keeping him company all morning and Allen absently patted him on the head.

"Well that was a beautiful song," Mana said as he reached out and tousled the little boy's messy hair. "Who taught it to you?"

Just like when Mana had asked him where he'd learned the lullaby, Allen shrugged his little shoulders.

Mana found it weird that Allen didn't remember piano lessons even though it was obvious that he had to have had them. For a child his age he was remarkably talented. Mana briefly debated whether he should ask about the voices that Allen had told him about the night before but decided against it in the end. Allen seemed happy and the last thing that Mana wanted to do was bring back the fear that he had heard in the child's voice last night.

"Hopefully these dreams will go away," Mana thought to himself as gazed down at the child.

"Mana…"

"What is it Allen?" Mana glanced at the boy and saw that he had a quizzical expression on his face.

"You still in 'jamas," the little boy pointed out, a smile on his face.

Glancing down at his clothing Mana laughed. It was true. He'd been in such a hurry to find Allen that he'd dashed from his room without bothering to dress first. "So I am," he said with a laugh. "I guess I should go upstairs and get dressed huh?"

"Uh huh," Allen said with a giggle.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed this chapter and, contrary to the way I make it sound, Allen is NOT schizophrenic. Everything will make sense eventually, I promise. Much thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story as well as added it to their Favorite/Alert list. You guys are awesome!


	25. Time Marches On

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - Thanks once again to the kind reviewers who are following this story: Genis Regal - Element Star, Jenaminya, Soul Silver, dgm - mega fan, key46812, crazy DGM fan, truegenius13, usuilove21, Shi - shiNata, PeanutAngel, AnaInTheCorona, LilyMoonstone, Leafre, fan girl 666, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, Peculiar Top hat, CrimsonLaurana, Arceus the Creator, LyssiBug and Noah of Faith. You're reviews were all wonderful, thank you so much!

Chapter Twenty-Five - Time Marches On

As the months progressed Mana began to grow more comfortable with his role as parent. There were still times when he felt lost and overwhelmed but those times were now few and far between. Unlike those first, terrifying months when he had been convinced that he would be a tremendous failure as a parent. And Mana was definitely not sad to see those times go as he was now more confident in his ability to raise Allen.

"Father!"

Feeling the familiar skip of his heartbeat, Mana turned and watched as Allen bounded into the room. The little boy was dressed in black trousers and a black vest over a white button up shirt. His pair of little white gloves completed the outfit and made the brown haired boy look like quite the gentleman. In the time that had passed since Nicholas' death it was as though Allen's mind had blocked out all memories of him. The little boy had began to address Mana as father, which caused the man to have mixed feelings. On the one hand he thought of the child as his son but on the other hand the fact remained that he wasn't.

Allen was Nicholas' son.

But Mana never said anything to correct the child, not wanting to cause him further trauma. Allen seemed to have found peace of mind and, despite what he felt for his brother, Mana didn't want to destroy this. The nightmares had all but disappeared and Mana wanted to do everything in his power to make certain that it stayed that way.

_"I'm sorry about this Nicholas," _Mana thought to himself as he gazed at the bright eyed little boy. As always he felt the customary stab of guilt but was choosing to ignore it for the time being. For the good of the child that his younger brother had risked everything for. _"But it's for the best right now. I swear I'll tell him about you when he gets older… I'll make sure that he knows."_

"Father…" Allen walked up to Mana and began tugging at the man's shirt sleeve.

"What is it Allen?" Mana offered the little boy a smile as he scooped the child into his arms. With a glint in his brown eyes Mana gave the boy a little toss, causing him to squeal in delight.

"Again!" Allen's gray eyes were shining as he gazed at Mana in delight.

Mana complied with the boy's wishes but promptly realized that this had been a mistake. He cringed as his back gave a very loud pop and quickly placed the boy back on the ground. "Ow!" he moaned, placing his hand on his back.

Allen was immediately concerned. "You okay Father?"

"I'll be fine," Mana assured the child, a rueful smile on his face. "So, what was it that you came to tell me? You seemed awful excited about something."

The smile returned to Allen's face as he remembered what he had been so excited to tell Mana. Reaching up he once again seized hold of the cuff of Mana's sleeve. "Star learned a new trick… come see!"

"Alright." Mana winced as his back protested the movement but he never the less allowed the child to lead him upstairs. Allen was so excited about this new accomplishment and he didn't want to squash his enthusiasm. He would just have to deal with the pain in his back.

Allen led the way upstairs to his bedroom, where he had left the little terrier. Star had grown from the tiny puppy although he would never be a big dog. But Mana thought that he was just the right size for Allen. The two of them made a very cute pair.

The moment that Allen opened the door Star, who had been lying on the floor, jumped up and yipped. The little dog turned around in circles, happy that his young master had returned.

"Okay Star," Allen said, sounding surprisingly serious for such a young child. The little boy walked over to the terrier and gazed down at him. Star locked gazes with his master and for a moment the two just stood like that, seeming as though neither of them were going to move a muscle. Almost as though they were having a staring contest. Then, without so much as a word of warning, Allen pointed his finger at the dog. "Bang."

Without even a moment's hesitation Star fell over and lay on his side, completely motionless.

"Good boy!" Allen exclaimed, prompting the little dog to jump up and lick his face. A smile appeared on the little boy's face as he turned excited gray eyes to Mana. "Did you see Father? Did you?"

"I saw Allen," Mana said, smiling at the little boy. He was once again forced to think that the three of them should run away and join the circus. Allen and Star could definitely keep them fed with the tricks that they could do and Mana found himself wondering where exactly Allen got all of these ideas from. "That's very good."

These simple words of praise were enough to cause Allen's smile to widen. Sinking to his knees the little boy wrapped his arms around the dog. "Good boy Star!"

"So Allen," Mana said, walking over to the spot where his little boy was kneeling next to his dog. He placed his hand on the top of Allen's unruly brown hair and gazed down at the child. "How would you and Star like to go to the park?"

"Yes please!" Allen's eyes shone, pleased that Mana had suggested going to the park. It was a rare treat and one that he thoroughly enjoyed.

"Alright then," Mana said, having already known that Allen would want to go to the park. He never said no to that question. "Find your shoes and Star's leash and then meet me downstairs."

"'Kay!"

Chuckling softly to himself Mana turned and left the room. He made his way downstairs, coming to a stop in front of the coat rack. Reaching out he grabbed his top coat and shrugged it on. Then he put on his top hat and turned to wait for Allen. Mere seconds later he heard the sound of the boy running down the hallway upstairs.

"Slow down Allen," Mana called out automatically as the child appeared at the top of the stairs. It had became almost force of habit to reprimand the child for running in the house and the man found himself vaguely wondering if that particular rule would ever sink in. Or if Allen would ever choose to obey it since he was fairly certain that the child remembered and just opted to pretend otherwise. "We won't be able to go to the park if you fall and break something."

Allen made a face but slowed his pace as he descended the stairs. The boy had pulled on his shoes and was holding Star's leash with his right hand. His left hand was still stiff and somewhat difficult to use so he normally chose to do everything with just his right hand.

"Don't make that face," Mana admonished as the boy came to stand beside him. Reaching out he gently tousled the boy's already unruly brown hair once again. "It'll stick that way."

"Will not," Allen said.

"How do you know?" Mana asked, keeping his face serious as he gazed down at the child.

This question seemed to give the boy pause. Allen gazed up at Mana, attempting to determine if he was serious.

"Will it?" the boy finally asked, his head tilted slightly to the side as he pondered this possibility.

"No," Mana was forced to admit with a laugh. "But you still shouldn't make faces like that. They're unbecoming to young gentlemen."

"What that mean?" Allen questioned, gazing up at Mana.

"It doesn't look good," Mana said as he turned and reached for the doorknob.

"Oh."

After pulling the door open Mana gestured for the little boy to step outside. Then, once Allen had complied, Mana followed along behind him. The last thing he did was lock the door and then the small family was ready to be on their way. There was just one final thing that Mana had to take care of before they were ready to be on their way. And that was to give the little boy a reminder of the rules.

"Alright Allen," Mana said as the three of them began walking down the sidewalk. "What's the rule when we go out somewhere?"

Allen held a thoughtful expression on his face for a few seconds before replying, "I has to stay with you."

"That's correct," Mana said, nodding his head in approval. It had been awhile since the two of them had gone to the park and he wanted to make certain that Allen remembered the rule. Because he really didn't want to have to deal with a missing child… again.

He had endured that more than his fair share and it always made him feel as though his life had been shortened.

As the trio walked down the street Mana noticed that Allen was humming to himself. He had to strain his ears to hear but, after a few moments, he recognized the song. It was the lullaby that Allen sometimes played on the piano.

"I really would like to know where he learned that song," Mana thought to himself for what was perhaps the hundredth time. Every time that he questioned the child Allen would merely shrug. He didn't seem to remember where he had learned it but of course the boy wasn't concerned by this fact.

That was merely the way things were in his eyes.

Before long the small family arrived at the park and Mana gave the child permission to run to their favorite spot. This was the normal routine; he could keep Allen in sight and it gave the boy the opportunity to run off some energy. For his part Mana walked along at a more leisurely pace, still feeling a slight pain in his back. "I must be getting old or something," he muttered darkly to himself. Of course he was only in his late twenties so this thought caused him to feel somewhat irritated. He was too young to be feeling so old. With a sour expression on his face he reached back and rubbed at the offending muscles.

By the time Mana made it to his favorite tree Allen and Star were already running about in the grass a few yards away. Sinking to the ground and pressing his back up against the tree Mana gazed at his charges. They were rambunctious and Mana hoped that they expended some of that boundless energy that they both seemed to possess. Allen had unclipped Star's leash and tossed it aside, giving the dog more freedom. Mana wasn't really concerned about this, since the little dog was extremely obedient. He merely resolved to keep a close eye on both the child and the dog. Because both were known to get into trouble when left to their own devices.

And it was always ten times worse when they were together.

Taking a running start Allen did a handspring and, as though not wanting to be outdone, the little terrier did a back flip. Allen gazed down at the little dog and it was obvious by his expression that he hadn't taught Star that particular trick. "When you learn that?" the child questioned, gazing at the dog quizzically.

Yipping a couple of times Star leapt up and licked the end of Allen's nose, effectively answering the question in his own way.

"Ew!" Allen exclaimed, wiping at his nose with the back of his gloved right hand. He was used to Star's kisses but that one had been a bit more slobbery than most.

"Hey!" an unfamiliar voice suddenly called out.

Mana's attention immediately shifted toward the sound of the voice and he watched as a little boy walked toward the spot where Allen was standing. This child appeared to be a few years older than Allen and he was quite a bit bigger. Not really surprising since Allen was small for his age. The new boy had blond hair and blue eyes and seemed to be heading straight for Allen. And Allen was steadily backing away from the strange boy. There was a strange look in his eyes and Mana realized that the boy didn't have any experience with children around his own age.

He was actually scared.

"Hasn't he ever had a friend?" Mana thought to himself as he watched the two boys. The little blond boy was steadily approaching Allen and he, in turn, was steadily retreating. That was all the answer that Mana needed. Getting to his feet he walked over to the spot where the two boys, along with Star, were standing.

"Hello," he said, offering the new boy a smile.

"Richard!"

Yet another new voice called out, this one sounding decidedly female. Mana turned once again and watched as a woman around his own age walked up the hill toward them.

"Richard," the woman said again once she had caught up to the blond boy. "I hope that you weren't interrupting these nice people."

"He wasn't," Mana said quickly, tipping his hat politely to the woman. "I think that he wanted to play with my son Allen and his dog Star." The woman was gazing at him as though attempting to size him up and Mana offered her his hand. "My name is Mana Walker. It's a pleasure to meet you…"

"Addison Taylor," the woman replied, accepting the hand that Mana held out to her. The two adults shook hands and then turned their attention back to the two young boys.

Allen was now gazing at Mana and Mrs. Taylor and, after a few moments of intense thought, he walked over to the blond boy. He hesitated for only the briefest of moments before offering his hand to the boy. "My name Allen Walker."

After a glance to his mother Richard accepted the hand that Allen was holding out. "Nice to meet you Allen. I'm Richard Taylor."

"That's adorable," Mrs. Taylor said, her eyes shining as she gazed at the two boys. "Your son is the cutest thing that I've ever seen Mr. Walker."

Mana couldn't help but smile, pride for the little boy shining in his brown eyes. He could tell that Allen was shy but the little boy had pushed that feeling to the side. "Thank you Mrs. Taylor. Your son is quite the little gentleman."

Mrs. Taylor smiled. "Would you mind if Richard played with little Allen and the dog?"

"Not at all," Mana said, his gaze going to the two small boys. "Have fun and play nice boys."

"Yes Father," Allen said.

"Yes sir," Richard said.

The two little boys spent the next several hours playing together and then Mana decided that it was time for them to go home. It was nearing supper time and it wouldn't do for Allen to miss a meal. So, with this thought in mind, Mana got to his feet and called out to Allen. "Come on Allen. It's time to go home."

For a moment it looked as though Allen might argue but then he turned to his new friend. "Gotta go. Bye."

"Good bye Allen," Richard said, offering the younger boy a smile. "Come back to play again sometime."

"'Kay!" Allen said as he picked up Star's discarded leash. Leaning forward the little boy clipped the leash to Star's collar and then ran over to Mana.

"Are you ready to go?" Mana asked as he wrapped an arm around Allen's shoulders.

"Not really," Allen replied truthfully.

"But it's almost time for dinner," Mana said, knowing that this would change the boy's mind.

And he was correct in that assumption.

"Let's go," Allen said, grasping Mana's hand and practically pulling him down the hill.

Mana chuckled softly as he was pulled along by the child. Allen had made a friend and Mana was extremely pleased by this fact. The little boy needed someone close to his own age to play with. "We'll definitely have to come back to the park more often," Mana thought to himself as he, Allen and Star made their way toward home.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed this chapter and Allen made a friend. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought and thanks so much to everyone who has already submitted reviews to this story. You're all wonderful.


	26. First Friend

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - Once again I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the wonderful reviewers: 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, TeenageNeko, key46812, Jenaminya, Noname4321, LyssiBug, truegenius13, AnaInTheCorona, fan girl 666, wysteria, Noah of Faith, Peculiar Top hat, crazy DGM fan, Arceus the Creator, CrimsonLaurana, and sage! Thanks so much for the reviews for the last chapter. You're all wonderful!

Chapter Twenty-Six - First Friend

Over the next couple of weeks Mana took Allen to the park every other day and the little boy had several opportunities to play with the boy named Richard. It seemed that the boy and his mother came to the park nearly every day so it wasn't really difficult to find them.

And Allen really seemed to enjoy having another child to play with.

Mana greatly enjoyed watching the two of them playing together. Allen had never had the opportunity to play with another child close to his own age and, after the first awkward moments, had really warmed up to Richard. Now Allen constantly spoke of the things that he had done with his new friend. As well as the things that the two of them had planned to do in the future.

"Father," Allen called out from the sitting room. He and Mana had just had their lunch and now the boy was attempting to find something to occupy his time.

And wasn't having very much luck at it.

"What is it Allen?" Mana stepped into the sitting room, a dishtowel held in his hand. He had been in the middle of cleaning up the dishes from lunch when the little boy had called out to him. That particular task always took some time owing to the fact that Allen managed to eat enough food to keep a couple of grown men alive. Not that Mana ever complained about that fact, he merely accepted it as how things were.

"Can we go to the park?" Allen asked, gazing up at Mana with a hopeful expression in his gray eyes.

Mana thought about the question for a few minutes, placing his fingers to his chin in contemplation. They had gone to the park just the day before but it really was a lovely day. And he wanted Allen to be able to spend time with his friend.

"Alright," he finally said, nodding his head in the direction of the child. "I'll take you to the park after I finish with the dishes. But only on one condition."

"What?" Allen asked.

"You have to go upstairs and pick up your toys," Mana said, arching one eye brow as he gazed at Allen. "They're scattered all over your floor and you know better than that."

"I'll clean it!" Allen jumped to his feet and dashed past Mana. The little boy dashed up the stairs before Mana even had the chance to correct him about running in the house.

"I'll remind him when he comes back," Mana said with a sigh. Shaking his head slightly Mana made his way back to the kitchen and resumed washing the dishes.

Mana was just finishing up the dishes when the brown haired child made his way into the kitchen. After drying his hands on a hand towel Mana turned toward the boy. "Allen…"

The little boy picked up on the slight sternness contained in Mana's voice and he turned his gaze up toward the man. It was obvious that Mana wasn't pleased about something but Allen wasn't exactly certain what he'd done. "Yes Father?"

"You know better than to run in the house," Mana said, once again going over the one rule that Allen seemed to always forget.

"I'm sorry," Allen said in a quiet voice.

"It's alright," Mana said, changing the tone of his voice. He could never manage to remain stern with Allen for any length of time; there was just something about those large gray eyes that refused to allow him to remain angry. "Just try to remember okay? You could fall and get hurt and I don't want that to happen."

"I'll remember," Allen promised.

"Good boy," Mana said, reaching out and tousling the boy's hair. The mood was light once more and Mana offered Allen a smile. "So did you clean up your room?"

"Yes," Allen replied with a nod.

"Okay then," Mana said, placing the hand towel on the counter. "Then let's go to the park."

A smile spread across the little boy's face and he turned to make his way to the entryway. His first impulse was to run, owing to excitement, but he caught himself at the last possible moment. Forcing himself to walk and not run, Allen made his way to the front door.

Once there he turned and waited for Mana to catch up to him.

It only took a couple of minutes for Mana to catch up the child and he smiled despite himself. He could tell that Allen was impatient, because he was rocking back and forth on his heels, but he admired the fact that the boy was trying to be patient. Reaching out Mana grabbed his top coat and shrugged it on. This had became somewhat of a routine for the two of them and Mana could go through the motions without conscious thought.

"Come on Father…"

Snapping back to the present Mana gazed down at the little boy, who had lost all attempts at patience. He was practically bouncing up and down as he gave Mana a pleading look.

"Alright, alright," Mana said, reaching out and pulling the door open. The child had exhausted all of his patience, which wasn't really surprising given his age. "We're going."

Allen bounded out the door but then stopped and waited for Mana to lock the door behind them.

Once the door was locked Mana walked over to the spot where Allen was standing and offered the little boy his hand. The child grasped his proffered hand and together the two of them began to make their way toward the park. Mana started out at a leisurely pace however it soon became apparent that this pace wasn't adequate. At least not in the eyes of the little boy who was walking along beside him.

"Settle down Allen," Mana said, gazing down at the impatient little boy. "We'll get there soon enough without you practically dragging me there."

"Sorry," Allen said, slowing his pace a small degree.

"I know that you're excited," Mana said in a gentle voice. "But you're going to have to learn to be a little more patient."

"I'll try," Allen promised.

"That's all that I ask," Mana said, picking up his pace slightly. He knew that Allen was just excited about seeing his friend and he couldn't really blame the kid. After all Richard was the first friend that he had ever made.

When Mana and Allen reached their favorite place in the park it was to find Richard already playing under the shade of a grove of trees. A smile spread across Allen's face as he released his grip on Mana's hand and ran to join the older boy. Mana really liked seeing the child so happy and he couldn't keep the smile off his face as he sat down under his favorite tree. The day was warm and sunny and Mana was content to watch the two children play together.

This was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

After leaving Mana behind, Allen ran over to the spot where Richard was playing. The blond boy offered the smaller child a smile. "Hey Allen."

"Hello," Allen said in his quiet voice.

"Wanna play tag?" Richard asked, trying to think of something that would be fun for the two of them to do.

Allen tilted his head slightly to the side. "How do you play that?" He'd never heard of this game but was willing to give it a try.

As long as Richard told him what the rules were.

"One of us is it," Richard explained, unable to believe that his friend didn't even know what tag was. "The person who is 'it' runs around while the other person tries to tag them. I'll be it first and you just have to try to tap me."

"Okay!" Allen said brightly. He thought that the game sounded like fun and he was excited to play.

Without so much as a word of warning Richard began running and, with a shriek of laughter, Allen gave chase.

The two little boys ran about in the sunshine, enjoying their game of tag. And, despite the fact that Allen was smaller, the little boy proved himself faster than his friend.

He was never 'it' for very long.

"Okay…" Richard gasped, falling onto the grass. "I give… you win."

"I win!" Allen exclaimed, jumping into the air and giving a little shout of triumph.

It was obvious that Allen was still practically bursting with energy and Richard stared up at the boy. "Aren't you tired?"

Allen stared back quizzically. "No."

Mana chuckled softly to himself as he watched the two boys. Their voices carried on the wind and he couldn't help but laugh as he heard these words. It took a lot to tire Allen and their little game hadn't been anywhere near enough to accomplish that.

"Young Richard doesn't know what he's gotten himself into," Mana thought to himself, placing his hands behind his head.

"C'mon," Allen said, standing over Richard and gazing down at the older boy. "Let's play something else."

"Give me a minute," Richard said, still fighting to catch his breath.

With a sigh Allen sat down on the ground beside his friend and began absently playing with a blade of grass. He wasn't the slightest bit tired but was willing to let his friend rest.

Even if he didn't want to.

"Alright," Richard said when he was once again able to breath normally. He got to his feet and watched as Allen jumped up. "Let's play a new game…"

The two boys spent the next several hours playing some kind of exploring game. Mana watched as the two boys roamed around the park, completely lost in their play.

He almost hated to interrupt their fun but it was beginning to grow late and it was time to go home. So Mana got to his feet and stretched, eliciting a couple of bone-jarring pops from various joints.

"Allen!"

A couple of minutes passed and then Allen appeared at Mana's side, with Richard trailing along behind him. The child's hair was even messier than usual and his clothes were covered in dirt. And the pair of small gloves that he wore were no longer pure white but now a strange pattern of white, brown, and green.

"Have you had fun Allen?" Mana asked, making plans to give the child a bath the moment they got home.

Allen nodded.

"That's good." Mana offered the boy a smile. "It's time to go home so tell Richard good bye."

Allen's face fell in disappointment but he obediently turned to his companion. "Bye."

"Bye Allen!" Richard said. "Come back and play again real soon okay?"

Allen turned his attention back to Mana. "Can we Father?"

"Of course we can," Mana replied, running his hand through the boy's hair, in an effort to straighten it out some.

A/N - awe, Allen's made a friend. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought about the chapter. And thank you to everyone who has already reviewed. You're all awesome!


	27. Different

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - Once again I would like to thank those who left reviews for the last chapter: DarkHarlequin, key46812, Lelouch, truegenius12, TeenageNeko, Jenaminya, fan girl 666, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, Elle, Little Lady Lime, Peculiar Top hat, LyssiBug, mysticwolf1896, Genis Reigal - Element Star, LilyMoonstone, and crazy DGM fan.

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Different

"Hey Allen," Mana called out, opening the door and sticking his head inside of Allen's room. His gaze scanned the room and he saw that the little boy was sitting in the floor in front of his toy chest, a look of deep concentration making his childish features seem somehow older. Blocks were scattered on the floor around him and Allen appeared to be completely focused on whatever it was that he was building.

"What?" Allen asked, not even looking up from his construction project.

"Would you like to go to the park?" Mana asked, knowing that this question would serve to get the little boy's attention. It never failed.

"Yes!" In his excitement Allen jumped to his feet, effectively knocking over his construction project. The little boy gazed down at the now scattered blocks, a frown on his face.

Mana stared at the child for a moment, curious as to what he was going to do. And his intentions soon became apparent as the child drew back his foot.

"Allen!"

The little boy halted his kick mid motion and turned his attention toward Mana. He gazed up at Mana with large gray eyes, knowing that he had almost succeeded in getting himself into trouble.

"I know that you're angry," Mana said, his voice containing a note of sternness. "But you know better than that."

The little boy's gaze went to the ground and he didn't say anything in response to Mana's words.

Mana sighed and walked over to the spot where the boy was standing. Dropping to one knee he placed both of his hands on Allen's shoulders. "Allen, we've talked about this. You're going to have to learn to be more careful. And you can't express your anger like that."

"Sorry," the little boy muttered.

"It's okay," Mana said, pulling the child into his embrace. "I know you're trying. So how about we pick up these blocks and then go to the park?"

The scowl on the child's face was immediately replaced by a broad smile and he nodded his head. Pulling free from Mana's grasp Allen began to quickly pick up the blocks. Mana watched as the child quickly picked up the scattered blocks, tossing them into the toy chest. All of his anger seemed forgotten and Allen had a smile on his face when he turned back to Mana. "Ready to go Father!"

"Alright then," Mana said, getting to his feet and attempting to ignore the popping sound that his knee made as he rose. "Let's get going."

"Yay!"

Mana couldn't stop the laughter that spilled forth as he watched the little boy dance around. He and the boy named Richard really had became good friends and Allen was always so excited to spend time with him. Which, in turn, made Mana happy.

The child needed friends around his own age.

As they had so often in the past few weeks Mana and Allen made their way to the nearby park. The child walking beside him was excited but Allen managed to hold himself in check. Which pleased Mana a great deal.

The little boy really was trying.

Before long they reached the park and Mana caught sight of Richard. The boy was playing toss with an older gentleman that Mana assumed was his father.

"Perhaps we shouldn't interrupt," Mana said as he gazed over at father and son. They seemed to be having a good time together.

Allen's face fell.

It was in this moment that the man turned and caught sight of them. A smile spread across his face and he motioned for the two of them to come over. Allen gazed up at Mana, a questioning look in his gray eyes.

"Go ahead," Mana said, nodding his head.

As though afraid that Mana might change his mind the little boy raced up the hill as fast as his small legs would carry him. Chuckling softly to himself Mana followed along at a more leisurely pace. He knew that if he even attempted to keep up with the little boy he would be bed ridden for the next couple of days.

"I really wish that I had that much energy," Mana thought ruefully as he followed along behind the child. Thinking back he wasn't even exactly certain that he'd had that much energy when he'd been Allen's age. He'd been more of the studious type, enjoying staying indoors and reading books. Of course his younger brother had been the one with boundless energy and had often succeeded in dragging Mana into the great outdoors and forcing him to take part in some sort of game.

It took him a few minutes but Mana finally managed to make it up the hill. Shaking his head and thinking that he shouldn't feel so old, the man made his way over to the spot where the strange man and the two children were standing. "Maybe it's just cause I'm out of shape," he wondered to himself. Because age really shouldn't have anything to do with it.

"Hello," the man said, offering his hand to Mana. "My name is Thomas Taylor and I'm Richard's father."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Taylor," Mana said as he grasped the hand that was being offered to him. "I'm Mana Walker."

"The pleasure is all mine," Mr. Taylor said, nodding his head. Then his gaze shifted to the two small boys who were standing a few feet away. He tossed the ball that he held to his son. "Why don't you and Allen go and play?"

"Alright Father!" Richard said as he caught the ball that his father had tossed. Then he turned to Allen. "Come on! Let's go and play catch."

"'Kay!"

Mana watched as the two children ran down the hill and began to play with the ball. He noticed that Richard was trying to throw the ball over Allen's head and had to fight back a smile as the smaller child still caught it every time. After watching them for a few minutes Mana retreated to the shade of his favorite tree. Mr. Taylor soon joined him there and the two made idle conversation while the two boys played.

That is until a shriek of abject horror pierced the air.

Both Mana and Mr. Taylor jumped to their feet and rushed down the hill to the spot where the two boys were. Richard's eyes were wide with horror as he gazed down at Allen, who was sprawled on the ground. The smaller boy had tears in his eyes and appeared frightened.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Taylor questioned as he gripped his son by the shoulders. "Richard, what's the matter?"

Richard pointed at Allen, his hand shaking. "He… he's a monster."

Mana quickly knelt down and pulled Allen into his arms, using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the tears from the child's eyes. "Allen… what happened?"

The little boy shook his head briefly before burying his face in the front of Mana's coat. Whatever had happened between the two children had obviously scared the child but he didn't seem willing to discuss it. It became obvious however as Mana glanced down and noticed that the glove covering Allen's left hand was ripped. The little green stone was visible and Mana instantly knew what had caused Richard to scream.

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Taylor demanded of his son. "There's nothing wrong with that child."

Mana wasn't expecting the boy's next move which was why he didn't make a move to prevent it. Richard walked over to them and quickly seized Allen's left hand, holding it up so that his father could see the glowing green stone.

Allen shrieked in despair and Mana quickly grabbed Richard's hand, forcing him to release his hold on the younger boy.

Mr. Taylor grabbed his son by the arm and pulled him back, away from Mana and Allen. "What the devil is wrong with that brat?" he asked, his polite demeanor now completely gone. His true personality was shining through as he stared at Mana and Allen, a look of disgust on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with him," Mana stated as he glared at the man. Taylor had acted friendly enough when they had first met but now he had shown his true colors. How could someone be so mean toward an innocent child? Especially over something that he had absolutely no control over.

"The devil there isn't," Taylor snarled, angry that his son had been exposed to that deformed kid. "Look at his hand… he's a monster."

It was clear that Allen heard these words. The child began to sob into Mana's coat, his little body shaking.

"He's not a monster, you prick," Mana said, narrowing normally kind brown eyes in anger. "He's a four year old little boy who can't help the way he was born."

"How dare you let that little freak anywhere near my son…" Taylor's eyes narrowed at this point and he made a move to step toward Mana.

Taylor raised his hands, as though preparing for a boxing match. There was a demented gleam in his eyes and it was obvious that his rationality had left him. It was at this point that Mana's fight or flight instinct kicked in and in that moment he was forced to make a decision that he had never been faced with before. Now Mana wasn't normally one for conflict but he felt that this man was threatening not only him but his child.

And that was something that he absolutely wasn't going to tolerate.

So, the moment that Taylor stepped toward him, Mana raised his one free hand and punched the guy square in the nose. Pulling his hand back he shook it, to relieve some of the pain. Having never been one for violence he hadn't realized that it would cause him that much pain. For his part Taylor lurched back, howling in pain. His hands clasped over his nose as he turned to glare at Mana, rage lighting his eyes.

And the vaguest trail of blood could be seen flowing between his fingers.

"Walk away," Mana snarled, barely recognizing his own voice due to the deadly tone that it contained. He wasn't normally a violent person but if this man caused Allen any more pain then he was likely to snap. So he was giving the man a chance to leave before something happened that they would both regret later.

Taylor continued to glare at Mana for a few moments before abruptly seizing his son by the hand and dragging him away. The two quickly ascended the hill and then disappeared out of sight.

Once father and son were gone Mana knelt down and positioned Allen so that he could see the child's face. The little boy's face was red and tears were sliding down his face. His little body was still shaking and it was obvious that the whole incident had shaken him up pretty badly.

"Allen…"

The little boy fought to bury his face in the fabric of Mana's coat. It was as though he didn't want Mana to look at him.

"Allen Nicholas Walker," Mana said in a quiet voice, knowing that the use of his full name would get the child's attention. "Look at me."

A few seconds passed and then the child raised his tear-filled gray eyes to meet Mana's brown ones. "Wha's wrong with me?"

The shaking of the little boy's voice ripped at Mana's heartstrings and he pulled the child into a close embrace. Placing his hand on the back of Allen's head he rocked back and forth in a gentle manner. "There's nothing wrong with you Allen."

"Is too," Allen said, pulling away from Mana's embrace and gazing down at the back of his hand. "Not normal."

"Allen…"

"Richard said…" Allen paused, sniffling slightly. "said I was a monster."

"You're not…"

The little boy once again interrupted his words before he could offer any comfort. Allen seemed determined to prove their case for them. "It's not right… tha's why I has to hide it."

"Allen…"

"Monster," the boy whispered, continuing to gaze at the little fleck of green that was embedded in the back of his left hand.

"Allen listen to me," Mana said, once again gazing down into the child's eyes. The eyes that so reminded him of his brother. He could vividly remember Nicholas saying something similar when the two of them had been younger. Now that his brother was gone, led down a path that had ended his life, Mana desperately wanted to help the child.

Because he hadn't been able to help his brother.

"Everything happens for a reason," Mana said, continuing to rock the child back and forth. "There's nothing wrong with your arm and anyone who says otherwise is just ignorant. Everyone is different Allen, special in their own way."

Allen raised his right hand and furiously wiped at the tears that were streaming down his face.

Mana could tell by the look on the child's face that he desperately wanted to believe that this was true. Wanted to believe that everyone was different and special. And that he wasn't a monster simply because of his arm. "You're my wonderful child and I wouldn't change anything about you."

Allen seemed to think about Mana's words for a minute before he flung himself forward, once again burying his face in the fabric of Mana's coat.

"Shh," Mana soothed as he got to his feet and turned to leave the park. "You're special Allen. And one day you'll know exactly how special."

Allen continued to clutch at the fabric of Mana's coat but, after about fifteen minutes, his hold began to loosen. Noticing that Allen had lost his grip Mana gazed down at the child and saw that he had fallen asleep.

"Sweet dreams little one," Mana whispered as he continued to walk. Hopefully Allen would recover quickly from the trauma of this day. But Mana, on the other hand, knew that he wouldn't be so lucky. He feared that he would forever be haunted by the voice of his child, calling himself a monster.

"Just keep moving forward Allen," Mana whispered as he continued toward the home that they shared. "That's what we both have to do… just keep moving forward."

A/N - The end of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. I would once again like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story or added it to their Favorites/Alerts. Your support is very much appreciated.


	28. A Special Treat

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N- I would once again like to thank the people who reviewed the last chapter: dgm-mega fan, TeenageNeko, 14th Noah, truegenius13, LadyDrago88, Jenaminya, Noah of Faith, BlueStar, fan girl 666, Lelouch, mysticwolf1896, SashaShea, Howlingwolf94, Peculiar Top hat, LyssiBug, rmiller92, Arceus the Creator, LilyMoonstone, crazy DGM fan, and Little Lady Lime! Thank you all so much, you're all awesome!

Chapter Twenty-Eight - A Special Treat

As Mana carried his little boy home he couldn't keep his thoughts from returning to the child's words. Despite the fact that he didn't want to recall what had happened, how Allen had lost his first friend in such a traumatic manner, he couldn't keep it off his mind. It broke his heart to hear Allen call himself a monster and he found himself desperately wanting to take the despair out of those stormy eyes. No one should feel that way about themselves. And especially not a four year old child.

"What can I do to cheer the little guy up?" Mana thought to himself as he made his way toward home. He wanted to see a smile on Allen's face but was at a loss as to how to bring that about. What could he possibly do that would make this situation okay? Or at the very least help Allen to forget about it. Because in his heart Mana knew that nothing would ever make it okay. The ignorace of that man and his son was something that would undoubtedly haunt Allen forever and the sad thing was the fact that Mana was fairly certain that this wouldn't be the last of such incidences. Allen's life would most likely be made more difficult because of the way that he had been born. It wasn't really fair but it was the way that the world worked.

At that moment a boy walked by, waving a newspaper in the air.

Reaching into the pocket of his top coat Mana pulled out a coin, which he exchanged for one of the papers. Mana placed the newspaper under his arm, so that he would still have one free hand. Then, with a nod to the boy, he continued on his way.

When Mana arrived back at the house that he and Allen called home he pulled his key from his pocket. After unlocking the door Mana entered the house, using his foot to close the door behind him.

"Guess I'll put Allen to bed," he thought to himself, his gaze shifting to the still sleeping child. As long as he was asleep the child wouldn't be sad and Mana didn't have the heart to wake him.

At least not yet.

He wanted to have a plan in mind for cheering him up before the child awakened.

Mana climbed the stairs and entered Allen's bedroom. As he stepped inside the room he saw that Star was curled up on the rug, seemingly sound asleep. A smile spread across Mana's face as he placed Allen in bed. "It's going to be very peaceful around here for a little while."

Which seemed odd.

Mana had grown accustomed to the noise that came along with having a child and a dog. Which made it seem very weird when the house was silent. And when the house was silent for long periods of time Mana had learned to expect trouble but at least this time he knew what the two of them were up to. With a shrug and a slight chuckle Mana left the child's room and made his way back downstairs. Entering the sitting room he pulled out the newspaper that he had purchased. "Guess I'll sit down and read the newspaper while my two little terrors are asleep."

Sitting down in his favorite armchair Mana opened the paper and began to skim the contents. And in doing so he was reminded why he had never been one to read the newspaper. It was filled with nothing but bad news.

"Well this is depressing," Mana muttered to himself, as he turned the page. Skipping through the paper Mana soon came to the adds that were located in the back.

And his eyes focused on one add in particular.

It seemed that the circus was in town and Mana found himself wondering if perhaps Allen might like to go. He recalled that Nicholas had really enjoyed the circus as a small boy and thought that Allen might be the same way. With this thought in mind Mana decided to take the child to the circus that evening. Hopefully that would cheer him up and put the light back into his stormy eyes.

Mana still couldn't believe that Allen's first friend had turned on him so easily. Personally he didn't think that there was anything wrong with Allen's hand but apparently he was in the minority. Because even the adult involved in the altercation had called Allen a freak. Just thinking back on the incident caused Mana's blood to boil once more. And he found himself vaguely wishing that he had done more to the man than punch him in the nose. Which made him feel somewhat strange. He had never been one to condone violence and yet here he was wishing that he had caused further injury to a man that he barely knew.

An image of a teary eyed Allen appeared in the man's mind's eye and Mana clenched his hands, crumpling the newspaper that he held. "Bastard…" he snarled, his anger once again growing.

Mana's eyes widened as he heard himself utter this word, in a voice that didn't sound like his own. He had never been one to use curse words but the whole incident had upset him to a high degree. He could take insults that were directed at him but no one had the right to speak badly of his child. That was something that he absolutely refused to tolerate. Shaking his head to rid himself of this disturbing train of thought Mana decided that he'd done the right thing. And that he would do it all over again if he had to.

Anything for his child.

"Father…"

Mana turned as he heard the soft voice that was calling out to him and watched as Allen entered the room. The little boy was rubbing at his eyes with the back of his right hand and clutching the familiar stuffed dog with his left hand. It appeared as though he was still somewhat sleepy and Mana held his arms out to the child.

Allen made his way across the room and allowed Mana to pull him into an embrace. There was still a sad look contained within his stormy eyes as he placed his head on the man's shoulder.

"Hey Allen," Mana whispered, reaching up and gently stroking the little boy's hair. He could tell that the little boy was still dwelling on what had happened at the park and he wanted to take away the sadness.

"What?" Allen gazed up into Mana's kind brown eyes.

"The circus is in town," Mana told the child. His gaze remained focused on Allen, in the hopes of judging his reaction to this statement.

And, as expected, Allen seemed puzzled. Mana had often told him that they should run away and join the circus but he still had no idea what exactly it was. "What that?"

"It a group of performers," Mana explained with a smile. "They travel from town to town entertaining people. There are animals, acrobats, and clowns."

"Don' like clowns," Allen muttered.

"Have you ever even seen a clown Allen?" Mana questioned.

The little boy thought about the question for a few minutes before he was forced to shake his head.

"Then how do you know that you don't like them?" Mana pressed.

"Don'," Allen maintained.

"Well there are other things," Mana said with a chuckle. "You like animals right? Well they have lions and tigers and horses."

The little boy's face brightened at this news. He had always loved animals and Allen suddenly began bouncing on Mana's knee. "We can go see, right Father?"

"Of course," Mana said, pleased that Allen seem to have found some enthusiasm. He was convinced that Allen would enjoy the circus when he saw it.

Even the clowns.

"Let's go see! Let's go see!" Allen chanted in a sing songy voice, his eyes wide.

"Okay Allen," Mana said. "I promise that we'll go see. But it doesn't begin until later this evening. How about we have something to eat before we go?"

"Yes!"

Mana hadn't really expected any other reply and yet he couldn't keep from laughing at the sheer enthusiasm that Allen displayed over something so simple. Placing the little boy down he got to his feet and led the way toward the kitchen.

With little Allen tagging along at his heels.

Later that evening Mana got the little boy dressed in gray trousers and a gray vest over a white shirt. Then together they made their way across town, toward the venue where the circus was being held. It was obvious that Allen was excited. The little boy was skipping along beside Mana, humming a strange little tune under his breath.

Taking the child's excitement into account Mana tightened his grip on the boy's small hand. He didn't want to take a chance on Allen forgetting the rule and running off. That was something that he had no desire to go through.

"Father…"

"What is it Allen?" Mana asked, his gaze going down to the child.

"This gon' be fun, right?" There was a questioning expression in the little boy's eyes.

"Yes Allen," Mana assured the child, a smile on his face. The little boy was excited but also seemed to feel the need to constantly question Mana. "It's going to be fun."

"'Kay!"

When the two finally made it to the large park where the circus had set up Mana watched as Allen's eyes widened. The boy's eyes darted back and forth, trying to take everything in at once.

"Come on Father…" As he spoke Allen began pulling at the hand that was grasping his own. "Hurry."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Mana chuckled.

Under normal circumstances Mana would reprimand Allen about his impatience but not today. Today his goal had been to put a smile back onto the child's face so he would deal with a little impatience on the boy's part. Because he was smiling.

Which was the one thing that Mana wanted to see more than anything else.

The smile remained on Allen's face until he and Mana reached the small ticket booth. That was the moment that the little boy's gaze fell upon a clown for the first time. With a soft little 'eep' noise Allen ducked behind Mana.

"It's okay Allen," Mana said, briefly glancing at the child before turning his attention to the clown. "We'd like two tickets please."

As he said this Mana reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of folded bills. The clown passed him two tickets in exchange for the money and then, once Mana had his change, he took Allen by the hand. "Come along Allen."

Allen followed along behind Mana but the child made certain to keep out of sight of the clown. Mana found it hard to believe that the little boy was actually scared of the clown but it was obvious by Allen's behavior that it was true.

"Don' like," Allen muttered as Mana led him across the circus grounds.

"It's alright Allen," Mana said, giving the child's hand a comforting squeeze. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

Mana led the little boy to the large tent where the main show would be held. The little boy gazed at the crowds of people and the decorations, his eyes shining once more. His fear seemed to have disappeared as suddenly as it had came on, for which Mana was grateful. He wanted Allen to have as much fun as possible on this little outing. To make up for what had happened at the park earlier.

"Wow…"

"You haven't seen anything yet kiddo," Mana said with a laugh. He led the child inside the tent and, once inside, he carefully chose seats. He wanted to be close enough so that Allen could see what was going on but far enough away so that he wouldn't be scared by anything. Allen sat down in the seat that Mana gestured toward, bouncing up and down excitedly. The moment that the band struck up a lively march Allen leapt to the edge of his seat. His eyes were bright as he gazed about, trying to take in everything.

"Father!" Allen exclaimed as he and Mana left the circus tent after the performance. He was still bouncing around. "That was fun!"

"I'm glad that you had a good time Allen," Mana said, holding the excited child by the hand.

"Lotsa fun," Allen said with a bright smile. Then his face fell as he recalled one part of the show. The part that he hadn't been overly fond of. "Still don' like clowns."

"You are a clown," Mana chuckled.

"Am not…" Allen proclaimed.

Still chuckling to himself Mana knelt down. "Hop on Allen. It's getting late and we need to get home."

Allen leapt onto Mana's back, wrapping his arms around the man's shoulders. He placed his head on Mana's shoulder, still chatting about the circus.

"This was a great idea," Mana thought to himself as he began the trip back home. It had definitely done the job of cheering the child up, which was all that Mana had wanted.

Allen continued to chat for most of the way home. Then, about ten minutes before they arrived, the little boy fell silent. Gazing out of the corner of his eye Mana saw that the child had fallen asleep. With a smile on his face.

"Don' like clowns…"

A/N - End of another chapter. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. And thanks to everyone who has already submitted a review. You guys are awesome! Things are going to pick up in a couple more chapters so stay tuned for that as well.


	29. New Tricks

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank the reviewers for the tremendous support that you guys have offered to me. Thanks to: TeenageNeko, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, key46812, LadyDrago88, LyssiBug, Lelouch, truegenius13, fan girl 666, Howlingwolf94, Jenaminya, Peculiar Top hat, Genis Reigal - Element Star, crazy DGM fan, Noah of Faith, mysticwolf1896, whisperypath, and BlueStar! Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter! You're all awesome!

Chapter Twenty-Nine - New Tricks

The trip to the circus did the trick, so to speak, and afterward Allen reverted back to the happy child that Mana had always known. Seeming to have forgotten the horrors of his first, failed friendship he went back to spending most of his time with his adopted father and his little dog. The trip also had another side effect but Mana learned that a couple of days later.

Things were quiet around the house, which of course was a warning sign. Getting to his feet Mana resolved to find his child. Because he just knew that Allen was getting into some mischief, owing to the silence.

"Allen…"

Mana received no response from the little boy, which only added to the fear that he was doing something that he shouldn't. Quickening his pace Mana made his way up the stairs to the little boy's room. When Mana reached the second floor he made his way down the hall to Allen's room. Reaching out he quickly grasped the door handle, pulling it open. There, in the middle of the room, was the child.

"Allen," Mana said as he stepped inside the room. He gazed at the boy, a questioning expression in his brown eyes. "What exactly are you doing?"

The child was just standing there.

Mana opened his mouth to repeat the question when the little boy suddenly bounded across the room. Now this was the only room in the house where Allen was allowed to be rambunctious so Mana didn't say anything. But that was mainly because he wanted to know what the little boy was doing. When the child was halfway across the room he threw himself forward, at which point it became painfully obvious what he was doing. Allen was attempting to perform some of the acrobatic moves that he had witnessed at the circus.

Mana's eyes widened in surprise as he watched the little boy do a handspring. It wasn't exactly graceful, since Allen barely managed to regain his balance at the end. But he did it.

"Such a little clown," the man thought to himself as he continued to watch the little boy.

Allen didn't even seem to notice that Mana was in the room. He seemed completely wrapped up in what he was doing and, after a few minutes, the child attempted a new trick. This time Allen did a series of awkward cartwheels, circling the room.

At this point Allen turned his attention to Mana, offering him the ghost of a smile.

"So he did know that I was here," Mana muttered as he watched the child turn away from him. It didn't appear as though Allen was finished with his little acrobatic display.

The child stood still for a moment, as though preparing for something. Mana gazed at the kid, trying to discern what he was attempting. It wasn't immediately obvious but when the child leapt into the air his intention became all too clear. And Mana felt his heart leap into his throat as the realization struck him. Hard.

Allen was attempting a back flip.

Unfortunately this attempt failed, sending the child sprawling to the ground. Mana stood, his gaze locked on the little boy, waiting for Allen to get to his feet.

But that wasn't what happened.

Mana jumped slightly as Allen began to cry. After all it was a rare occurrence for the little boy to be reduced to tears and it instantly put Mana on edge. Feeling his pulse rate quicken Mana immediately rushed to the little boy's side. Kneeling down Mana pulled the child into his arms and began to check him for broken bones, his heart pounding in his chest the entire time. The voice in the back of his head was pleading the entire time that Allen hadn't broken any bones or caused himself any other type of serious injury.

"Shh," Mana soothed, attempting to distract the child from his pain. "It's okay Allen. We're just going to check and make sure that you didn't break any bones."

Despite being somewhat soothed by Mana's calm words Allen continued to whimper softly as the man felt of his arms and legs. However he cried out the instant that Mana touched his right ankle, no longer the least bit calm. "Hurts!" the little boy shrieked.

"I'm sorry," Mana apologized as he scooped the little boy up into his arms, cuddling him close for a moment. He carefully got to his feet, making certain not to jostle Allen. "I didn't mean to hurt you Allen."

"Hurts," Allen said again, his voice softer this time. The little boy buried his face in Mana's shirt, at the same time clutching the fabric with both small hands.

"I know," Mana said in a gentle voice as he carried the child over to his bed. Using one hand to support Allen, he used the other to position the pillows at the head of the bed so that Allen could lean up against them. Then he placed the child on the bed, with his back pressed against the stack of pillows. Sitting down on the edge of the bed Mana untied the child's shoe and carefully removed it. Which elicited still more tears from the distraught Allen. "I'm sorry Allen," Mana apologized once again, feeling distinctly guilty. He hated the fact that he was causing the child more pain but he needed to assess the severity of the injury.

And for that he needed to see it.

So, with this thought in mind, Mana removed Allen's sock, as gently as possible. Then he rolled up the leg of Allen's trousers and gazed down at the child's ankle, which was already beginning to swell.

"Well that's not good," Mana muttered to himself, beginning to grow concerned with the situation. It had only taken minutes for the child's ankle to begin to swell, which he didn't like.

"I sorry," Allen said, tears still sliding down his face. Gazing up he mistook the concerned expression that adorned Mana's face for one of irritation and was instantly afraid that he had done something to anger the man.

"Shh," Mana whispered in a soothing voice. Reaching out he tenderly wiped a stray lock of brown hair from the boy's face. "You're going to be just fine. I'll call Dr. Baker and see if he can come over and have a look."

"No," Allen whined, shaking his head.

"Well that was pitiful," Mana said as he gazed at the child. He had thought that Allen had gotten over most of his aversion to people. And besides that fact, he had already seen Dr. Baker on a couple of occasions when he had been stricken with influenza. So why exactly was he protesting? "Why don't you want me to call the doctor Allen?"

"Don' like," Allen muttered.

"Well like or not I'm afraid that you're going to have to deal with it." The tone of Mana's voice left no room for argument from the child. "We have to make certain that you didn't break anything during that little acrobatic stunt."

"Not broke…" And, as though to prove his point, Allen made a move to get up.

Which Mana promptly prevented. "Oh no you don't," he said, capturing the child and positioning him back against the pillows. "You're going to sit right there until Dr. Baker has a look at that ankle."

"Father…" There was a plaintive tone in the little boy's voice.

Unfortunately for him Mana wasn't impressed by it.

"I mean it Allen," Mana said, eyeing the boy with one eyebrow raised. Normally he was far from strict with Allen but this time was different. He didn't want Allen to cause himself further injury and if he didn't put a stop to the boy's attempts to get down then that was exactly what was going to happen. "Not one move until I say so."

At this point Allen seemed to realize that Mana wasn't going to relent. The little boy crossed his arms over his chest, his lower lip sticking out slightly.

"That's a lovely face," Mana said, shaking his head as he made his way over to the door. He knew that Allen was attempting to gain his way by pouting but he refused to allow that to happen. This was one time, one of the few actually, when he wasn't going to give in to the child. "Remember Allen," he called out over his shoulder as he left the room. "Not one move."

Hoping that the little boy would obey his order Mana made his way downstairs to the sitting room. Walking across the room the man made his way to the phone. And as he dialed the number Mana found himself hoping that Allen's injury wasn't anything serious. Thankfully the doctor was in his office and agreed to make a house call. It helped that he had been the Walker family physician since Mana and his brother were small children. He was partial to the family and willing to go out of his way to help them. Mana thanked him and then placed the receiver of the phone back in it's place.

"I guess I should go back and make sure that he didn't move," Mana thought to himself once his call was complete. Even though he had been very precise with his orders he didn't entirely trust Allen to follow them.

Mana quickly made his way back up the stairs and then down the hall to Allen's room. The door was still open and Mana stepped inside quietly. His gaze immediately went to the bed in the center of the room and a smile spread across his face. Allen was still sitting on the bed, in the exact same position that he'd been in when Mana had left him.

And he still had the same expression on his face.

"I called Dr. Baker," Mana informed the child as he walked over to the bed. "And he should be here within the hour."

In response to this bit of unwelcome news Allen stuck out his tongue before turning his head away from Mana.

"Allen," Mana said, sitting down on the edge of the child's bed. He focused a somewhat stern gaze on Allen. "That wasn't nice."

Allen didn't even seem phased as he turned his head and gazed back, his gray eyes devoid of remorse.

"Look," Mana said, his gaze still focused on the child. The note of sternness was still contained in his voice as he spoke to the little boy. He felt sorry for Allen but this time he was determined that he wasn't going to give in. "I know that you're angry at me but you have to see the doctor."

"Not broke," Allen repeated, gazing up at Mana with a look that could only be described as pleading.

Reaching over Mana tousled the boy's already unruly hair, chuckling softly as he was reminded of his younger brother's rather rebellious streak. It appeared as though looks weren't the only thing that Allen had inherited from his father. Glancing down he saw a flash of something other than defiance in Allen's gray eyes. "You aren't scared are you Allen?"

"No!" Allen snapped, which was as good as an answer in the affirmative as far as Mana was concerned.

"Allen," Mana said. "You've met Dr. Baker before; what could you possibly have to be scared about?"

"Not scared," Allen maintained, although his eyes told a different story.

"You'll be fine," Mana assured the child. He wanted to say more to comfort Allen but a knock on the door interrupted him. Getting to his feet Mana placed a hand on Allen's shoulder. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Mana cast one last gaze in the child's direction before leaving the room and making his way downstairs. He quickly made his way to the front door and pulled it open, coming face to face with an older gentleman dressed in a brown suit.

"Good afternoon Mana," Dr. Baker said, nodding his head in the young man's direction.

"Good afternoon Dr. Baker," Mana said, gesturing for the gentleman to step inside. "Thank you so much for coming."

"Don't mention it," Dr. Baker said, offering Mana his hand. They shook hands briefly before Dr. Baker went straight to business. "So where is young Allen?"

"He's upstairs," Mana said, waving his hand in the general direction. "In his room."

"Well then," Dr. Baker said with a smile. "Let's go and take a look at that ankle of his."

"Alright." Mana led the way upstairs to Allen's room, with the doctor following along at his heels. The door was still ajar and Mana and Dr. Baker entered the room.

To find it seemingly empty.

"Allen," Mana groaned as he gazed at the empty bed. The bed where he had left an injured Allen lying mere minutes ago.

"Maybe he's less injured than previously thought," Dr. Baker suggested, his gaze shifting around the room.

Mana opened his mouth to say something but held his tongue as a strange sound met his ears. Walking across the room the man heard the sound again, causing him to immediately focus his attention on the bed. Or, to be more precise, underneath the bed.

Getting down on his hands and knees Mana pulled back the bedclothes to reveal… "Allen Nicholas Walker! I told you to stay put."

"Not last time," the little boy said from his spot beneath the bed.

The young man rolled his eyes at Allen's attempt to find a loophole in the orders that he had given. Not that it was really a very effective one. However he opted not to address that matter at the present moment because Mana could tell, by the tone of the child's voice, that Allen was in pain. Which he attributed to the fact that he had crawled underneath the bed. It seemed that this was more movement than his ankle could tolerate and had only served to make the situation worse. "Come on Allen… out."

The child mumbled complaints under his breath but obeyed the order none the less. He slowly crawled out from under the bed, wincing as he moved his ankle the wrong way. "Ow," he whimpered as he emerged.

"You see?" Mana said as he gently lifted the child and placed him back on the bed. "You should have stayed put like I told you."

Allen turned away.

Dr. Baker walked across the room, placing his black bag down on the floor beside the bed. "So Allen," he said as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "What exactly happened?"

Allen gazed at the man with wide gray eyes, keeping his mouth tightly closed. He still looked wary, which Mana had to admit surprised him somewhat.

What was the child so afraid of?

Realizing that Allen wasn't going to speak to him Dr. Baker reached out toward the boy's ankle, intent upon getting down to business.

"No," Allen whimpered, pulling away from the doctor's touch. Which caused tears to form in his eyes as he once again moved his ankle the wrong way. "Hurts."

"You're going to make this difficult aren't you Allen?" Dr. Baker asked the child, one eyebrow raised as he stared at the little boy. Being a fairly experienced physician this wasn't the first time that the elderly gentleman had dealt with a difficult child and he recognized the signs. However when he didn't receive any reply to this question the doctor once again made a move to examine the child's ankle.

Which prompted the child to once again pull away.

"Allen," Mana said, a slight note of warning in his voice.

"No," Allen whimpered, gazing up at Mana with tears in his gray eyes. "He gonna hurt it!"

"I know that you're hurt and scared," Mana said in an understanding tone. A tone that only subtly hinted at the frustration that the young man was beginning to feel due to Allen's rather uncooperative behavior. "But you have to let Dr. Baker take a look at your ankle."

Allen shook his head, a look of defiance in his gray eyes that looked out of place in such a young child. "No!"

"Okay," Dr. Baker said with a sigh, leaning forward and reaching into his bag. The child was beginning to grow upset and the doctor knew that this wouldn't make him any more cooperative. Which meant that it was time to do something about it. He rummaged around for a minute before pulling out a syringe and a small vial filled with an unknown substance. "I propose that it's time to give Allen here something to calm him down."

Mana nodded, giving the doctor his permission. He didn't really like the thoughts of drugging the child but it seemed to be the only way to gain his cooperation.

"NO!" Allen shrieked the moment his gray eyes fell upon the syringe. The child made a move to get down from the bed however Mana anticipated the move and quickly pulled the little boy into his arms. "Don' let him Father…" Allen pleaded, his voice quivering slightly.

"Shh," Mana said, placing his hand on the back of the child's head and pulling him close. "You'll be okay Allen."

"No," the little boy whimpered, shaking his head and pressing his face into the fabric of Mana's shirt.

Having filled the syringe by this time, Dr. Baker stood and turned back to Mana and Allen. "Could you hold him still for me please Mana?"

Mana nodded once again and tightened his grip on the small form in his arms.

Dr. Baker carefully rolled up the child's shirt sleeve and then held up the syringe. He gazed at Allen with a kind look in his eyes and spoke to the child in a soothing tone. "Little pinch Allen and then it'll all be over." Then, having said this, Dr. Baker administered the injection.

Mana held the little boy so that he couldn't pull away and then he comforted Allen once it was over. "See Allen… that wasn't so bad was it?"

Allen shook his head, his face still pressed against Mana's chest.

A couple of minutes passed and then Mana felt the little boy's body relax. Glancing down he saw that Allen's eyes were only partially open, as though he were on the verge of falling asleep. With a small smile on his face Mana placed Allen back in bed, confident that the child would stay there this time.

Once the child had been sedated Dr. Baker began his examination. Being as gentle as possible the doctor ran his hands along Allen's ankle, checking for any broken bones.

Allen whimpered softly but made no move to fight against the doctor. He was far too groggy from the drugs to put up any kind of a fight.

When he completed his exam Dr. Baker turned his attention back to Mana. "Despite the fairly significant swelling there appear to be no broken bones. Allen should be up and around in a couple of days and back to his normal behavior within a week."

"Thank you," Mana said, relieved to find out that Allen hadn't broken his ankle.

"Don't mention it," Dr. Baker said, once again reaching into his black bag. He pulled out a roll of bandages which he promptly began wrapping around Allen's ankle. "This should help with the swelling… just leave it around his ankle for a couple of days."

"Right," Mana said with a nod.

Reaching back into his bag Dr. Baker grabbed a couple of little paper packets. He offered the packets to Mana, who took them with a confused look in his eyes. "The sedative should keep him fairly comfortable for the rest of the day. Mix the contents of one of these in water and give it to him if he complains of being in pain."

"Right," Mana said once again.

"If you need anything else feel free to give me a call," Dr. Baker said, offering Mana a warm smile.

"Thank you doctor," Mana said, holding out his hand. "And I'm sorry about Allen. I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Don't worry about it," Dr. Baker said as he grasped Mana's hand and shook it. Having dealt with difficult children in the past, the doctor wasn't overly concerned by it. In fact there was one child in particular that he was very much reminded of. "He reminds me a great deal of his father actually. He was the same way as a child."

Mana hadn't given the subject any thought but with a chuckle he realized that the doctor was correct. Nicholas had been exactly the same way as a small boy. "You're right," he said with a soft chuckle, recalling the few times that the doctor had been called to treat his brother. Nicholas had given the poor man even more trouble than Allen had. "I'd forgotten about that."

"Take care of that little boy," Dr. Baker said as he turned to leave.

"Thank you," Mana said as he followed along behind the doctor. "I will."

* * *

Allen wasn't happy about the forced bed rest. And that was actually putting it mildly. Thankfully for both himself and Mana the child was up and walking two days after the accident.

"Now be careful," Mana said when he finally consented to let the child out of bed.

"'Kay!" the child said with a smile.

"So are you going to try any more of those stunts?" Mana asked. He kept his gaze locked on Allen as the little boy carefully made his way across the room.

Allen turned around and nodded. "Yep!"

"Of course you are," Mana thought to himself, not even sure why he was surprised. After all Allen had always been the determined type. "Just give your ankle a little more time to heal before you try any of that stuff again."

Allen smiled. "'Kay Father."

A/N - end of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Once again I'd like to extend my thanks to the people who are reading and enjoying this story. The next chapter shall wrap up this part of the story and chapter 31 shall shift gears entirely and the story will pick up. Please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next time, farewell!


	30. Target

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank the my wonderful reviewers for your continued support! Thanks to: mysticwolf1896, LyssiBug, crazy DGM fan, fan girl 666, Peculiar Top hat, TeenageNeko, dgm-mega-fan, 14th Noah, whisperypath, Noah of Faith, Jenaminya, Howlingwolf94, Lelouch, Devil's Melody, key46812, Genis Reigal - Element Star, truegenius13, Gracie Girl, Arceus the Creator, BlueStar, FalteredGAIT, Kyrione, and DarkBalde! Thank you all so much for your reviews for the last chapter!

Chapter Thirty - Target

The room was vacant save for a dining room table surrounded by several chairs. The table and chairs were situated in the center of the room, surrounded by four walls decorated with various paintings of various people. Many pairs of eyes seemed to stare at the table, as though keeping watch. The only sound in the room was that of a lone clock ticking away the time. Time that did not matter. The Millennium Earl was sitting at the dinner table in the Ark, awaiting the arrival of Road. She was the sole survivor of his beloved family; a fact that the man had yet to come to terms with.

And was still seriously vexed about.

He clenched his hands in anger as he thought back to the rogue member of the Clan of Noah. The man who had betrayed them for an Exorcist and a brat.

A brat that was still out there somewhere.

The fact that the brat had escaped the ambush that had claimed the life of his mother still angered the Earl. Both of them had been meant to die that day however the woman had shielded her child. Yet another fact that still caused the Millennium Earl a burning anger whenever he thought about it.

"Lord Millennium!"

The Earl glanced up and watched as a young girl entered the room, twirling an umbrella around her head. The umbrella was crying out it's protests over the situation however neither the girl nor the Earl paid him any attention. "Welcome Road!" The Earl's voice was calm as his gaze fell upon the young girl. By all outward appearances he was normal however the fact remained that his blood was still boiling. He was still angry over the fact that they hadn't managed to track down the Musician's brat.

Road sat down in her customary seat at Lord Millennium's right side, her gaze sweeping over the man. He was trying to hide it but she easily picked up on his irritation. And the Noah girl instinctively knew that it had something to do with the fallen sibling that she still missed. Road had cried when Lord Millennium had killed her favorite brother. And it didn't matter that he had been responsible for the deaths of the rest of her family. That hadn't been the Musician's fault. He had been brainwashed by the Exorcist bitch; turned against the family that had loved him.

"So tell me Road," the Earl said, his gaze focused on the Noah of Dreams. "Have you had any luck with your search?"

Road didn't really want to be the bearer of bad news but felt the it would be a bad decision on her part to withhold the truth. So, after taking a deep breath, she shook her head. "I still haven't been able to track down the kid. I don't know where the Musician left him but I can tell you about a hundred places where he didn't." There was a slightly petulant note in the girl's voice as she gazed at the Earl. She knew how much he wanted to find the brat but she was growing frustrated with the search. After all, it wasn't very much fun.

"I see," the Earl said.

"I don't get why we can't find him," Road said, sitting sideways in her chair and absently toying with Lero. "I mean without the use of the Ark there are only so many places the Musician could have taken him."

"I'm not so sure that the boy didn't use the Ark," the Earl said, his ever present grin taking on a sinister quality.

"But how could he?" Road asked, her eyes widening as she heard this statement.

"Because we were all out searching for him," the Earl said, lending voice to a suspicion that he had held since the betrayal of the Noah of Praise. "He would have had ample opportunity to use the Ark." "And the skills with which to do it," he added silently, clenching one hand into a fist as he thought about the black sheep of their little family. He had been surprised by the Musician's betrayal and was still beyond angry about it, even after all of this time.

Road mulled this about for a few minutes, a picture of her mahogany haired brother appearing in her mind's eye. She had wanted to kill the woman who had lured him away from them, slowly and painfully, but Lord Millennium had insisted that it had to appear as if it were an accident. Which now seemed like a vast waste of time because the Musician hadn't been fooled and her family had suffered his wrath. And the child had escaped.

"So now we have to broaden our search for the brat," the Earl said as a couple of his Akuma servants brought out trays laden with food. "Because I am determined that he will suffer a fate worse than that of his parents. And whoever is harboring him shall also face my wrath."

All of this was said in a calm voice but Road still picked up on the venom within. It was a deadly calm and she felt her heart skip a beat at the sound.

The boy's death would be fun.

"Oh I can't wait," Road exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "It's going to be so much fun!"

A flash of golden suddenly fled from the room but neither the Earl nor Road noticed. They were too caught up in their talk of murder to even notice their uninvited guest.

* * *

General Cross Marian was sitting in a familiar clearing. He had met with the Musician at this exact location, on more than one occasion. The Exorcist felt a twinge of something resembling guilt as he thought back to those days.

Thought back to Lyssa.

This was actually the spot where she and the Musician had first met. And it was that meeting that had led to the young woman's rather tragic demise.

These thoughts were interrupted when a very familiar, and still annoying, golden creature suddenly appeared as though out of nowhere. Timcanpy flew over to his rather reluctant master and immediately opened his mouth wide. Cross was somewhat shocked by the footage that the golem had recorded. He had been aware of the creature's absence but hadn't known where exactly he had gone off to. Of course now his whereabouts were painfully obvious.

The winged annoyance had actually been spying on the Millennium Earl.

He had tried, on multiple occasions, to get Timcanpy to lead him to the Millennium Earl but all attempts had been unsuccessful. No matter how he worded the command Timcanpy always ignored it. Until now Cross had chalked that up to the golem not knowing where to find the Earl. But now it appeared as though he had simply been ignoring the orders. Which annoyed Cross but now was not the time to dwell on that fact. It appeared as though the Millennium Earl was now targeting Allen. He had known all along that this was an inevitability but Cross had been hopeful that the Earl would give up on the kid.

After all, it wasn't as though Allen posed a threat to him in any way.

"Damn it!" Cross swore as he got to his feet. Reaching into the inside pocket of his Exorcist's coat, the red haired general pulled out a flask. Removing the top he quickly chugged the contents, wishing that he had something better.

The Exorcist wasn't happy about the prospect but he knew that he was going to have to go back and check on Allen. He had been avoiding the Musician's brat but there was nothing for it at this point.

The brat was a target of the Millennium Earl and the remaining Noah.

"Stupid brat," Cross snarled. It almost sounded as though he were referring to Allen, since the child was the person who was currently in danger from the Earl and Noah, but of course that wasn't the case. This derogatory comment was meant solely for the boy's father.

"I can't believe that I'm still caught up in this," Cross muttered to himself as he began to walk away. Being in this location brought back memories that he was unwilling, or perhaps unable, to deal with at the present moment.

FLASHBACK

"I know that you think I'm naïve about the danger," Lyssa said, facing off against the master that she respected. Even if she didn't always like him. There was a blazing look in her usually kind brown eyes as she made every attempt to make him see this situation from her point of view. "But I can assure you that I'm not. I knew the risks involved when I chose to marry Nicholas."

"Then why did you go through with it?" Cross demanded, even though he already knew the answer that he was going to receive. It was plainly written all over the girl's face whenever she spoke of the Noah.

"Because I love him," Lyssa replied without a moment's hesitation. There was a fire burning in her brown eyes as she gazed up into Cross' face. She needed for him to understand… because she needed a promise from him. "And because I saw in him someone worth saving."

Cross snorted but couldn't bring himself to comment on how wonderfully that had worked out for her. Now she was an outcast from the Order, though not yet officially labeled a traitor. But this was only because her secret had yet to be discovered. And there was also the fact that she had to live in hiding, without her husband.

The Noah brat couldn't be away from his 'family' for extended periods of time. Which of course left Lyssa as the sole caregiver for the couple's young son Allen.

"Listen Master Cross," Lyssa said, continuing to gaze up at him.

Cross gazed down at the girl, the first apprentice that he had ever accepted, and saw a look in her eyes that had never been there before. She was actually pleading with him. "What is it?" he asked gruffly.

"I know the danger that I'm in," Lyssa said, never once averting her gaze from his. "Which is why I need you to promise me something. Promise me that if anything should ever happen to me and Nicholas you'll look after Allen."

That was the last thing that Cross wanted to agree to. He hated children and always had. And yet, gazing down into her doe eyes, even the gruff general found himself unable to refuse this request.

"Fine," he growled, turning away from the girl. "If anything happens to you and the brat I'll keep an eye on the kid."

"Thank you," Lyssa called after him, her voice grateful.

END FLASHBACK

"I knew I shouldn't have made that promise," Cross grumbled to himself as he traveled along. The path had once been well worn but had grown up a bit since the last time that he had traveled it. Not really a surprising fact, given the amount of time that had passed. And, even after all of that time, the ghosts of the past still seemed to haunt this particular stretch of land. Shaking his head the general quickened his steps.

Timcanpy flew beside him for once, instead of resting on top of his hat. A constant reminder of the past that he wanted to forget.

A/N - another chapter without Allen! He wasn't even in the flashback this time. And now the Millennium Earl is stepping up his search for the poor little guy. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. As promised the action will step up in the next chapter!


	31. The Next Musician

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I am BEYOND ecstatic about the success of this story and would once again like to thank those who reviewed the last chapter: truegenius13, Howlingwolf94, tyrant, Spirit's Cry, Peculiar Top hat, Zenophobia, Genis Reigal - Element Star, dgm - mega fan, Jenaminya, AnaInTheCorona, FalteredGAIT, LyssiBug, Arceus the Creator, key46812, crazy DGM fan, Noah of Faith, fan girl 666, Lelouch, mysticwolf1896, The Great Rick and PeanutAngel! Thanks again for all of the support guys, you're all awesome! As promised the action picks up and theres a timeskip in this chapter. Hope that you enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-One - The Next Musician

Time passed, as time is want to do, without the Millennium Earl discovering the whereabouts of the Musician's child. Though of course this wasn't from lack of trying on his part. He and Road, and later the reincarnated members of the Clan of Noah, searched for the brat but all of their efforts were in vain. No matter how intensive the search it seemed that they were never able to find any trace of the child that the traitor Noah had left behind.

That is, until one fateful day nearly four years after the death of the Fourteenth.

* * *

Seven year old Allen Walker was making his way down the sidewalk, on his way back home after running an errand for his father. Mana had sent the child to the market for a few items that they needed and, now that the brown haired boy had successfully acquired all of the things on his list, he was on his way back home.

He was proud of the fact that his father had trusted him with this errand and wanted to prove that he could do things to help.

As he walked along Allen began humming softly to himself, his thoughts focused on plans to teach Star a new trick when he returned home. His little terrier was incredibly smart and had a rather large repertoire of tricks. Not that this was all that surprising since Allen had been teaching him tricks for as long as he could remember.

Mana often joked that the three of them should run away and join the circus but Allen always scoffed at him when he said such things.

"My father's such a weirdo," the boy muttered to himself, idly kicking at a rock that was in his path.

"I can't believe my luck…"

Allen turned around as he heard this strange voice, speaking in a sing-songy fashion, and he saw that a strange looking young girl was following along behind him. The boy gazed around and, seeing that there was no one else on the street, he was forced to conclude that this strange girl was talking to him.

Allen was a little bit confused but the teachings of his father were screaming at him to be a gentleman so the boy bowed slightly to the girl. "Is there something that I can help you with Miss?"

The young girl's eyes widened as she heard this boy speak and now she knew for certain that he was indeed the brat that had escaped Lord Millennium nearly four years ago. His resemblance to the Musician was uncanny and the girl felt an indescribable anger well up inside of her. This boy was one of the people responsible for leading the Musician astray and she found herself losing control of her temper. She had vowed to maintain her calm should she ever find the kid but, now that he was standing mere feet from her, the girl found herself unable to keep that promise.

"It's your fault," she growled as she took a step toward the brat. A menacing light was glowing in her eyes as she stared at him, this brat who had helped ruin her family.

"What are you talking about?" Allen asked, beginning to grow concerned with this situation.

"It's all your fault," the girl repeated, her eyes narrowing and turning a gleaming gold as she spoke.

Allen's eyes widened as he witnessed the girl undergo a strange transformation; her eyes turned gold at the same time that her skin turned an ashen gray. Mere seconds later a line of little crosses appeared across her forehead.

"What are you?" Allen asked, dropping the bag of supplies that he had been holding in his arms.

"I'm a member of the Clan of Noah," the girl replied, a somewhat sadistic grin spreading across her face. "I am Road Kamelot and I am the Noah of Dreams."

"Clan of… Noah?" Allen repeated, confusion evident in his voice. Something about this seemed vaguely familiar to him but the boy couldn't place it. There was this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he should know what she was speaking of but Allen couldn't place where he had heard it before.

Road narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the boy; he was acting as though he didn't know anything about the Clan of Noah even though his father had been one of them. Was the kid really clueless or was it all an act?

"It doesn't matter," Road muttered as she forced her thoughts to focus on the job at hand. An image of the boy's father, her favorite sibling, flashed into her mind but she forced it to the side. "You're going to pay for the loss of the Musician."

"Who is this Musician?" Allen asked, taking a step back away from the girl named Road. He didn't have even the slightest idea who or what she was talking about but there was one undeniable truth that he was easily able to discern. There was definitely something strange about this girl and Allen was getting a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He was in trouble and he fully realized this fact.

Road wasn't willing to speak of the Noah of Praise with this brat who had helped to lead the Musician to his demise. She had cried when Lord Millennium had killed her brother, even though he had been responsible for the deaths of the rest of her family. That hadn't been his fault since he had been brainwashed by that little witch that he had secretly married. And even though this boy who stood before her was the son of her favorite sibling Road knew that she wouldn't shed even a single tear for this brat. In fact she was going to delight in the slow torture and eventual death of this kid who so resembled her fallen brother.

Raising her hand Road summoned one of her flaming birthday candles and, without so much as a second of warning, sent it flying toward the boy.

Allen saw the attack coming toward him but didn't have enough time to dodge. The child made an attempt to evade the pointy end of the candle but only succeeded in causing it to embed itself in his shoulder instead of his chest.

The child cried out in pain as the candle pierced his flesh and a sadistic grin appeared on Road's face as she watched him fall to the ground.

Allen gasped in pain as he grasped the candle and, after taking a deep breath, pulled it from his shoulder. It hurt far more coming out than it had going in and the boy couldn't keep himself from crying out.

Which only caused Road to laugh maniacally, enjoying the sound of the boy's pain.

"Why are you doing this?" Allen asked as he tossed the bloody candle to the ground and gazed up at the girl who had attacked him. He didn't understand why she was attacking him. He didn't even know who she was so why did she seem to hate him so much? "I don't even know you."

"Doesn't matter," Road said as she took a couple of steps toward the brown haired boy. He really was a cute little thing, as far as that went, but this only increased her desire to cause him pain.

Allen's eyes widened as he watched the strange girl named Road walking toward him and he struggled to his feet. Blood was pouring from his shoulder wound but this was the last thing on his mind at the moment. His top priority was standing up and attempting to fight back.

He had no experience with fighting but knew that, if he didn't do something, then he was going to die.

"Why isn't someone coming to help me?" the boy thought to himself as he stood, his left arm hanging limply at his side. It seemed as though the candle had damaged the nerves; the arm was useless.

Not that it was overly useful under normal circumstances. The deformed appendage that he had been born with was partially paralyzed and difficult to use at the best of times.

"Oh isn't that cute?" Road said, her golden eyed gaze focused on the boy who was struggling just to stand. There was something almost irrisistable about the little brown haired boy that stood before her and, if circumstances were different, Road would have wanted to keep him around to play with. But that wasn't an option so the Noah of Dreams would just have to content herself with enjoying his torment. "He thinks he can fight back."

Moving with lightening fast reflexes Road dashed toward the boy and quickly punched him in the stomach. This blow knocked the breath from the boy's small body and he gasped as he attempted to draw oxygen into his burning lungs.

Giving the boy no time to recover Road grabbed Allen by his hair and pulled him to his feet. Once they were eye level she raised her hand to strike him again only to pause as she saw…

The boy gazed into her face and Road watched as his eyes turned from stormy gray to golden. Using Road's momentary surprise to his advantage Allen pulled his hair free from her grasp and kicked her legs out from under her. Then he used the moment it took the Noah to get to her feet to move away from her.

Road laughed out loud as she realized that this boy had inherited Noah genes from his father. "I don't believe this…"

Allen ignored the girl's words as he sought to strike out at her once more; sought to cause her the same amount of pain that she had caused him. It was almost as though the boy were possessed by something.

Holding up her hands Road summoned a large group of flaming candles, which she directed toward the Musician's brat. He had a dangerous look in his eyes and Road didn't want this situation to get out of hand. It had already progressed much further than she had anticipated and Road wanted to end it quickly. Although she admired the lethal look that had appeared in the boy's eyes she knew that it meant trouble.

Allen continued to walk toward the girl named Road, barely flinching as the candles grazed his flesh. His golden eyes were blank, as though his mind wasn't processing anything that he was seeing... or anything that he was feeling for that matter. Little trails of blood began to flow from the various lacerations caused by the razor sharp candles but the child didn't even seem to notice. Or at the very least didn't seem to care.

"So you really are one of us," Road muttered as she watched the boy's continued approach.

Beginning to grow annoyed with this brat's attempts to fight back, Road rushed forward and knocked the boy back, causing him to collide with a wooden fruit stand. The makeshift shelter collapsed, burying the boy beneath the rubble. Road stood over the pile of rubble beneath which the boy was buried but the Noah of Dreams was hesitant to finish the job. This boy had the blood of Noah and it appeared that he could use those powers.

He could be the next Musician; the one necessary to move Noah's Ark.

The Ark was stranded in Edo, due to the curse placed upon it by the Musician. But perhaps this child was the one who would be able to remove the curse.

"Maybe killing him isn't the best thing to do," Road thought to herself as she gazed at the rubble under which the child was buried.

* * *

"Where the hell are you taking me you winged annoyance?" General Cross Marian demanded as he ran along behind Timcanpy.

The little golem had escaped his hotel room and was now leading through the town at an almost frantic pace. Something was definitely wrong with the golem and Cross had been around Timcanpy enough to trust his instincts. So Cross continued to follow along behind him and, after about fifteen minutes of running, he found himself on a very familiar street. He had been here on numerous occasions over the years, spying on the Musician's brat.

Timcanpy led his master down the street and then came to an abrupt halt a few feet from the spot where Road was standing. Cross came to a halt as well and his eyes narrowed as his gaze fell upon the young girl.

The girl with ashen gray skin and golden eyes.

"Noah…" he snarled.

"Well if it isn't Cross Marian," Road said, her gaze shifting from the pile of rubble and settling on Cross.

Without so much as a word Cross pulled his coat aside and grasped the handle of a large firearm. He quickly drew the weapon and pointed it at Road's forehead.

"I think it's time for me to leave," the Noah of Dreams said, laughing sadistically as she summoned a door and stepped through.

"Damn it!" Cross swore, holstering his gun and running a hand through his red hair. He was really getting tired of the fact that those bastard Noah kept escaping.

Cross blew out a frustrated breath but quickly forgot all about the Noah as he noticed the fact that Timcanpy was circling the pile of debris that the Noah had been staring at. Cross' gaze shifted to the pile of rubble and he saw an arm sticking out from beneath it.

The white glove that was covering the small hand was torn and Cross saw a bit of green surrounded by red; and that was all that it took for him to identify the victim.

Rushing forward Cross began to dig at the debris and before long he had moved enough of it to be able to get to the victim. Allen appeared to be in bad shape however Cross could tell, by the slight rise and fall of his chest, that he was still alive.

Leaning forward the red haired Exorcist General pulled the boy into his arms. The movement seemed to aggravate the child's injuries and Allen gasped in pain and opened his eyes.

Cross briefly gazed down at the child and was surprised to find that the child's eyes were golden.

The color of the Noah.

"Damn it all!" Cross swore as he realized what this signified. His first priority had just shifted from getting the boy medical attention to sealing the powers that were attempting to emerge. Allen needed medical treatment but it was more important to seal the powers of the Noah before the child completely transformed.

Cross was far from certain that he would be able to seal the boy's Noah blood but he knew that he had to try.

"I hope this works," he muttered darkly to himself as he carried the child away from the scene of the attack.

A/N - Noah Allen! Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. And thank you so much to all who have submitted reviews and added this story to their Favorite/Alert lists. You guys are awesome and you give me reason to continue writing. -Bows- And for that I offer my sincerest thanks.


	32. Truth Long Overdue

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to extend my thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter: TeenageNeko, key46812, dgm - mega fan, Gothicgirl12, LyssiBug, mysticwolf1896, zenophobia, Peculiar Top hat, 14th Noah, Noah of Faith, PeanutAngel, FalteredGAIT, BlueMoon, Lelouch, xTinXion07, Kyrione, crazy DGM fan, Arceus the Creator, fan girl 666, InvisibleBrunette, Jenaminya, Genis Reigal - Element Star, and truegenius13! You're all wonderful, thanks so much for the continued support!

Chapter Thirty-Two - Truth… Long Overdue

"I can't believe that something like this fucking happened," Cross growled to himself as he carried the child toward the house where he had lived with his uncle for the past three and a half years. While it was true that he had often contemplated the possibility that the child possessed Noah powers, owing to his father, it had never even occurred to him that they would surface in such a manner.

The child, the son of the only apprentice he had ever taken on, had been attacked by the one member of the Clan of Noah that the Musician had failed to kill. The mistake of the father had almost resulted in the death of the son. But as it was it had only resulted in the partial awakening of powers that Allen shouldn't even possess. As an apostle of God who harbored Innocence Allen should have been immune to the Noah blood that was coursing through his veins. However something in the child had snapped, unleashing the genes that he had inherited from the Musician.

Cross had done the best job that he could in sealing the boy's powers but even he had his doubts about how well it would work out. Talented magician though he undoubtedly was this was completely uncharted territory. The spell was something that he had learned from the Musician himself, near the end of his life. It wasn't known to any other Exorcist and perhaps not to any other person. After all a spell that could nullify the powers of the Noah was a secret that the Musician had closely guarded.

And it was a long shot.

The success rate for the spell was very low; it had failed when he had tried it on the Musician himself. But then Nicholas' powers had been fully developed when he attempted to seal the Noah within. Perhaps it would prove more successful with Allen, whose powers had just now emerged.

And only partially at that.

The only characteristic that had marked the child as Noah had been his golden eyes. And the deadly gleam that seemed to shine within them.

At this moment Allen moaned softly, as though to remind Cross that he was there. Like the general could have forgotten the fact that he was carrying a bleeding child in his arms. It still irritated him that he was getting blood all over his coat. The bleeding had slowed somewhat but Cross suspected that was due more to blood loss than anything else. It had taken time to perform the sealing spell but he maintained that it had to have been done first.

But now he was on his way to the child's home, to deliver him to his uncle. Not being familiar with the town, save for Mana's house and the local tavern, Cross had no idea where to find a doctor. So he was choosing to leave that up to the brat's guardian. It would be up to the Musician's brother to seek treatment for the brat's injuries. Once he had delivered the kid to his uncle Cross fully intended to wash his hands of the entire affair.

* * *

Mana was reading a book in the sitting room although it was growing more difficult to concentrate on the words that were written on the pages. It had been several hours since Allen had left on his little errand to the market and the child had yet to return. The trip into town shouldn't have taken this long so what exactly was keeping the boy?

"I knew it was a bad idea to let him go alone," Mana muttered to himself, silently berating himself for having been so stupid. The child was only seven after all. With a sigh the man gave up on reading his book, placing it on the end table. His concentration was pretty much shot to hell, what with his concern for Allen.

It had been his plan to accompany Allen on the shopping trip but the child had insisted that he was old enough to go on his own. Had begged to be allowed to do it. And in the end Mana had relented.

A decision that he was regretting more and more with each minute that passed.

"That's it," the man said, getting to his feet and moving to leave the room. "I'm going out to search for him."

So, having made this decision, Mana quickly left the sitting room. Despite what he was always telling Allen the man broke his own rule about running in the house, making it to the front door in record time. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong with his child and wanted to find him as soon as possible.

Mana grabbed his top coat, roughly pulling it from the coat rack, and was just about to leave when someone suddenly pounded on the front door. The banging was harsh, as though the person outside was actually seeking to knock the door from it's hinges. Wondering who in the world could possibly need to see him so urgently Mana reached out and grasped the doorknob. Pulling the door open Mana came face to face with a sight that made his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. The red haired man named Cross was standing on his doorstep, holding a bloody and unconscious Allen in his arms.

"What the hell happened?" Mana demanded as he took the child from the man's arms and gazed down at him. Allen's shirt was coated in blood, which seemed to be coming from a rather severe looking wound on his shoulder. He couldn't tell very much about the injury owing to the clotted blood and torn fabric that surrounded it but it had to be bad judging by the amount of blood that the child seemed to have lost.

"He was attacked on his way home," Cross replied, his voice calm despite the fact that the boy's guardian was near frantic at this point. And kept glaring at him through accusing brown eyes, as though it was his fault that this had happened. "If you have any first aid supplies I'll do what I can for the kid… but you should probably call a doctor."

The mention of first aid supplies served to partially bring Mana back to reality and he nodded his head. There would be time to get answers about what happened once Allen's injuries had been taken care of. That had to be the top priority at the moment. Leading the way back to the sitting room Mana gently placed Allen on the sofa before he made his way upstairs to track down the first aid kit.

"Stupid brat…" Cross muttered as his gaze shifted to the unconscious child.

Mana arrived back in the sitting room just in time to overhear Cross' muttered insult and he stiffened. It took every ounce of self control that he possessed not to walk over and punch the man in the face but right now Allen's well being was more important. With this thought in mind the man walked over and offered Cross the first aid kit. "Here," he said shortly, thrusting the box into the man's hands. "I'm going to call the doctor."

Cross took the box of medical supplies, picking up on the fact that Mana seemed angry but not really caring. Pulling off his Exorcist's coat the red haired man knelt down beside the sofa where Allen was lying, his skin ghostly white. Leaning forward Cross quickly removed the boy's blood-stained shirt, exposing the stab wound in his shoulder.

"It's deep…" the general muttered, grabbing a clean cloth and dabbing at the wound with some disinfectant that he found in the box. There wasn't really a lot that he could do for the kid aside from keeping him alive until the doctor arrived.

Which had better be soon.

As if on cue Allen moaned again, but this time it was weaker than the last. A most pitiful sound, although the Exorcist general remained completely impassive. It was obvious to Cross that the child was beginning to succumb to the blood loss. Cursing under his breath the red haired general pressed the cloth against the wound, in the hopes that the pressure would help with the bleeding.

"I called the doctor," Mana announced as he rejoined Cross in the sitting room. His gaze quickly swept over the red haired man, coming to rest on the pale and almost lifeless form of his little boy. Only the slight rise and fall of the child's chest gave hint to the fact that Allen was still alive.

"Well I hope that you told him to get here now," Cross growled, continuing to apply pressure to the boy's shoulder wound. There were other, less serious, abrasions on Allen's arms and legs but none of them were life threatening. The sole concern was the stab wound in the kid's shoulder.

"I told him that we had an emergency and he said that he'd be right over." Mana gazed over his shoulder, glancing at the clock that was sitting on the mantel above the fireplace. "Shouldn't take more than ten minutes."

Cross grunted, to show that he'd heard the man's words, before turning his attention back to Allen. The kid's breathing was light but steady and the general was fairly certain that he could survive the wait. As long as nothing delayed the doctor.

"Father…"

Mana was instantly at Allen's side as he heard this single word, issuing from the child in a hoarse whisper. Sinking to his knees the man grasped the pale hand that was positioned across Allen's stomach, giving it a comforting squeeze and attempting not to dwell on the fact that it was cool to the touch. "It's alright Allen… you're going to be just fine."

Allen grimaced at this point, scrunching up his face before slowly opening his eyes. General Cross actually held his breath as the little boy struggled to return to consciousness but felt a small measure of smugness when he saw that the brat's eyes were once again stormy gray. And not the cruel golden that they had been when the general had found the boy after his battle with Road. "Looks like I succeeded," the red haired man thought to himself as he gazed down at the child. "But how long will the sealing spell last?" This particular train of thought disturbed the Exorcist somewhat since he had never given any thoughts as to just how permanent his spell would be. Or whether or not it would change Allen's personality.

Those were details that he had never discussed with the Musician.

Not that there was anything that could be done about either of those things now. He had made his decision and they would all have to live with the consequences.

This train of thought was interrupted as the group in the sitting room heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. Hoping that it was the doctor and not some unforeseen guest Mana released his grip on Allen's hand and hastened to the front door. Reaching the front door in record time Mana grasped the handle and pulled the front door open, revealing Dr. Baker standing on the front step.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Mana said, gesturing for the elderly doctor to enter the house. "Allen's in the sitting room."

Dr. Baker nodded and quickly followed along behind Mana, entering the sitting room right on the man's heels. His gaze swept the room, quickly coming to rest on the injured child who was lying on the sofa. Placing his black bag on the floor the doctor knelt at the boy's side, prompting Cross to get to his feet and move to stand beside Mana.

"What happened to the child?" the doctor asked as he examined the deep puncture wound briefly before beginning to rummage around in his bag.

"We're not exactly sure," Cross said, answering the question before Mana even had the chance to open his mouth. This lie was necessary since he couldn't exactly explain the situation to a complete outsider. And it wasn't as though the man would believe him anyway. The chances were far greater that he would end up in an asylum, which was something that he simply couldn't allow. There was no way possible that he would have access to liquor were he to be incarcerated in the nut house. And that would be enough to cause him to actually lose his mind. "I was on my way here when I found him lying on the street. He'd already sustained the injuries by that point."

"And you are?" Dr. Baker questioned, arching one brow at the red haired man before turning back to his patient.

"I'm the boy's godfather," Cross said, using the first lie that came to mind. He actually shuddered at the thoughts of being tied to the Musician's brat in such a manner but it seemed that the lie was necessary owing to the fact that the doctor was staring at him with an accusatory look in his eyes.

"I'll do what I can for Allen," Dr. Baker said, his attention once again focused on the little boy.

"Thank you," Mana said quietly.

"Hey," Cross said, turning to Mana at this point. The expression on his face was one meant to convey things that he couldn't outright say in front of the doctor and he hoped that Mana wasn't so thick that he missed the hidden meaning behind the stare. Of course that would be just like the luck that he was accustomed to. "We should let the doctor work… and there's something that I need to discuss with you."

"Right," Mana said, casting one last glance in the direction of his child before following Cross from the room. He didn't want to leave Allen but at the same time the boy was in good hands and there were answers that he wanted from this red haired man whose presence always seemed to herald bad news. The two men made their way to the parlor, where Mana closed the door behind them upon entry. Whirling around he glared at the red haired man. "Tell me what really happened," he demanded, knowing that Cross knew the truth of what had happened to Allen.

"It's a long story," Cross said, a scowl on his face. He didn't like being snapped at in that manner but had expected the man's anger none the less. After all he had seemed to form a bond with the Musician's brat so it was to be expected. "But I suppose you should know since your idiot brother started something that is unlikely to end soon and will have consequences that are far reaching."

"What are you talking about?" Mana said, not sure exactly how Nicholas had entered into this conversation. It was supposed to be about Allen after all and the child's father had been dead for years. So what could he possibly have to do with the little boy's current situation? "What does any of this have to do with Nicholas?"

"There is a secret war being waged," Cross explained, imparting information that wasn't supposed to be shared with anyone not directly connected to the Black Order. Of course he was going to give Mana the abridged version but the man didn't have to know that. "Between the Exorcists of the Black Order, who are God's chosen, and a man who goes by the title of the Millennium Earl. I'm a member of the Black Order and we're currently involved in a struggle for the fate of the world against the Earl, as well as his subordinates. Your brother, known as the Musician, was a member of the Clan of Noah and was on the side of the Millennium Earl."

"Are you trying to tell me that my brother was evil?" Mana demanded, not really happy with the direction that this conversation seemed to have taken.

"He was more of a slave to the blood that flowed through his veins," Cross said, actually shocked at the amount of credit he was giving to the brat. Had anyone told him that he would do such a thing he probably would have succumbed to a laughing fit right before punching them in the nose. "And he betrayed the Earl after meeting the woman that he would eventually marry."

"Allen's mother…" Mana said, recalling how torn up Nicholas had appeared the day that he had shown up with Allen. "I never met her."

"She was also a member of the Black Order… and for better or worse she reformed the Musician. Which in the end resulted in both of their deaths but that isn't the main topic that we need to discuss." Cross paused at this point. "The brat was attacked because he is the Musician's child and the Earl is still holding a grudge… plus there's the small matter of the fact that he possesses Innocence."

"Innocence…" Mana repeated, now more confused that ever.

"The little green stone in the back of his hand," Cross said, the scowl on his face deepening. He had never understood how a child possessing the blood of both an Exorcist and a Noah could have been born with Innocence but that also wasn't an important matter at the moment. "Innocence is the weapon that we Exorcists use in our battle against the Earl and his followers. The fat ass is seeking to destroy the Innocence, which makes the brat a target, and there's also the fact that Noah blood flows in his veins as well."

"And this is a bad thing?" Mana said, picking up on the hidden tone in the man's voice.

"It's dangerous," Cross said, not willing to commit to whether it was a good thing or a bad thing at this point in time. "And the girl who attacked him, also a member of the Clan of Noah, has no doubt informed the Earl of this little development. You're both in danger so I would suggest a change in location. Because the next time he's found he'll either be killed or captured. He's already escaped their wrath twice so the chances are low that it will happen a third time."

Looking stunned Mana sank down onto the sofa. His eyes were wider than normal and he looked decidedly shell shocked. He couldn't believe that his brother had hidden all of this from him. The two of them had always been close so why, why had Nicholas chosen to keep all of this a secret?

"Get it together," Cross growled, glaring at the man. "You don't exactly have the luxury of having a nervous break down right now. You're going to have to leave this place as soon as possible… before they come looking for the boy."

"Right," Mana said, shaking his head and getting to his feet. "We'll leave as soon as Allen's out of danger."

A/N - End of another chapter and now Mana knows the truth of his brother and nephew. How will this affect their lives? Stay tuned to find out. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	33. Life Left Behind

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank those who reviewed last chapter: key46812, 14th Noah, Panda-Hiroko, usuilove21, LyssiBug, zenophobia, mysticwolf1896, dgm -mega fan, TeenageNeko, FalteredGAIT, Arceus the Creator, Kyrione, Jenaminya, blitz, Noah of Faith, fan girl 666, Peculiar Top hat, Genis Reigal - Element Star, Crazy -Mellow-Chan, Lelouch and truegenius13! Thank you all so much for making this fic my most popular one to date.

Chapter Thirty-Three - Life Left Behind

After his rather enlightening discussion with the red head named Cross, Mana returned to the sitting room where his child still lay on the sofa. Allen was still his main concern by far, especially after everything that he had been told by the red headed man. His gaze surveyed the scene and his heart fell as he saw that Allen was still deathly pale, his chest just barely rising and falling. Dr. Baker seemed to have just finished stitching the boy's shoulder wound closed and he turned as he heard Mana enter the room. There was a strange look on the elderly gentleman's face as he got to his feet, wiping his hands on a clean towel that he pulled from the black bag that had been left beside the sofa.

"How is he?" Mana asked as the doctor rose so that the two of them were at eye level. He tried to ignore the slightly accusatory look that was on the elderly gentleman's face, after all it didn't really matter what the man thought. All that mattered to Mana in this moment in time was the child who was lying on the sofa. A concerned look radiated in his brown eyes as he posed this question, almost afraid of what Dr. Baker might tell him.

"His condition is serious," Dr. Baker replied, his tone solemn and his expression somewhat stern. His gaze shifted briefly down to Allen's still form before returning to Mana. "The child lost a tremendous amount of blood and, to be quite honest, I'm amazed that he's survived this long with such grave injuries."

Mana choked back a sob as he heard these words. Of course he had known that Allen's condition wasn't good but for some reason he had been hoping for some words of reassurance from the doctor.

"So Mana," Dr. Baker said, not really giving the younger man any time to dwell on his grief. He fixed a stern gaze on Mana once more. "Why don't you tell me what really happened to Allen?"

Unable to maintain eye contact under the older male's scrutinizing gaze Mana shifted his own gaze away quickly. "I don't know what you're…"

"Don't even bother to tell me that lie," Dr. Baker said, having known that something was up the moment that Mana had looked away. Of course he had suspected it before that but the younger man's inability to maintain eye contact proved it to be the truth. "I know that there's something going on and that the red haired man in the next room is somehow involved. I can't imagine that you'd do anything to knowingly put Allen in danger but if there's something going on that I need to know about then just tell me. Maybe I can help."

"I'm sorry," Mana said, having regained his composure at this point. Lifting his gaze he stared straight into the elderly man's eyes, normally kind but currently holding a stern expression. "I wish that I knew who was responsible for what happened to Allen," he said, his expression darkening as his brown eyes shifted to the child. He felt his anger build as his thoughts shifted to the person responsible and the reason behind the attack... and he wanted blood for it. Of course he couldn't say any of this to the doctor. "But I honestly don't."

The elderly doctor still didn't look one hundred percent convinced that the words Mana spoke were the truth but he also realized that there wasn't really a lot that could be done. He wanted to help the family that he had known for many years but if Mana refused to tell him then it was out of his hands. With a sigh Dr. Baker began gathering up his supplies. "I would advise that you keep Allen sedated for the next couple of days, so that he doesn't move around and reopen his wound. In his weakened condition he can't really tolerate any further blood loss. I'll leave you the medication and show you how to administer the injections. And I'll come back to check on him every day."

"I appreciate everything that you have done," Mana said quietly, making his decision in this moment. "And I'll make sure to keep Allen sedated as per your orders but we're leaving this town tonight so there won't be any way for you to check on him."

Dr. Baker was beyond shocked by these words and he turned around to gawk at Mana. "Are you out of your mind? You're actually planning to travel with a gravely injured child?"

"It isn't an ideal set of circumstances," Mana said, making every effort to keep his voice even and emotionless. Despite the pain and turmoil that he was feeling inside, despite all of the doubts that he was now feeling. He was well aware of the fact that moving Allen could aggravate his injuries, putting his life in further jeopardy, and it wasn't something that he wanted to do by any means but it was necessary. Because the ones who had killed his brother knew where Allen was so the sooner they left this place then the better off they would be. The danger in staying far out weighed the risk in leaving. "But I have no choice in the matter."

"Listen Mana," the doctor began hesitantly, choosing his words with the utmost care. "If you're in some kind of trouble then…"

"There's nothing that you can do," Mana said quietly, giving the doctor a look that was meant to tell him that he was better off if he didn't know the details of the situation. It was far safer to simply remain in the dark. At this point, he offered the man his hand. "Thank you so much for everything that you've done for us over the years."

Dr. Baker hesitated for a moment before grasping the younger man's hand. He still wasn't sure exactly what was going on but for some reason that he couldn't really explain he trusted Mana. And knew without a doubt that the man would never do anything to knowingly put Allen in danger. "You're welcome Mana. If you ever need my help then you know where to find me."

Mana inclined his head to the man. "Thank you."

After a brief demonstration on how to administer the sedatives to Allen the doctor took his leave. With a sigh Mana sat down on the floor at Allen's side, absently reaching out and running a hand through the child's soft brown hair. "I'm sorry Allen…"

"You don't really have time to sit there feeling sorry for yourself y'know," a harsh voice called out, forcing Mana to focus his attention elsewhere. His gaze shifted upward, coming to rest on the red haired man with the perpetual scowl on his face.

Jumping to his feet Mana seized Cross by the collar of his shirt, pulling the man forward until their noses were almost touching. "Why the hell didn't you tell me about all of this sooner? You've known it the entire damn time so why are you just now telling me about it?" He choked up at this point, a sob catching in his throat. "Why did you wait until something happened to Allen? You could have prevented this you bastard, if only you'd said something sooner."

"I didn't tell you because the Musician didn't want you to know," Cross snarled, glaring at the man through his one visible red eye. He made no move to pull away, thinking that the man standing before him would be a fool if he opted to strike him. "If you're going to be angry with anyone then you should be angry with the brat. He's the one who dumped his kid on you without so much as an explanation or a warning. HE'S the one who kept you in the dark about this entire thing. So don't take your frustrations out on me."

As much as he hated to admit it, and boy did he hate it, Mana was forced to concede the fact that Cross had a point. But he couldn't bring himself to be angry with his brother and he merely sighed as he released his grip on the man's collar.

"So why do you even give a damn what happens to us?" Mana said, sounding somewhat dejected as his gaze swept around the room. There was a hollowness to his voice that hadn't been there mere hours before. Almost as though the knowledge that he had gained, coupled together with the events that had occurred, had defeated him. He and Allen had spent many pleasant days and evenings in this room, it being one of their favorites in the house, but that was all over now.

Now they had to leave everything that they had known in order to escape a danger that they hadn't even known existed until today.

It was on the tip of the man's tongue to say that he didn't give a damn what happened to either of them but he found himself unable to complete the motion. The face of a woman appeared in his mind's eye and he was forced to recall a promise that had been made years ago. "Because I promised the girl that I wouldn't let anything happen to the brat."

"The girl…" Mana repeated a second before he realized who Cross must be talking about. "You mean Allen's mother?"

Cross nodded rather curtly, not happy about these memories once again being brought to the surface. And there was too much to be done for him to drown himself in alcohol and banish the ghosts of his past. "For better or worse I promised the girl that if anything were to happen to her and that idiot she married that I would take care of the brat. Fortunately for me YOU got saddled with that burden, thanks to the Musician. It could be that he didn't trust me with his kid, not that I really care."

Choosing to ignore the rather irreverent tone that the man named Cross used when referring to his deceased brother Mana turned away from the man. "I have to gather up a few things… as well as get together some funds. Keep an eye on Allen for me."

It wasn't a request, it was an order. And Mana turned and walked away before the red head even had the opportunity to protest or refuse.

"Brats… all of them," Cross snarled, despite the fact that Mana probably wasn't any younger than himself.

As Mana made his way around the house, gathering the few possessions that he deemed valuable enough to take along, his thoughts were wildly racing. "Where are we going to go from here?" he asked himself as he entered his bedroom, sitting down on the bed and taking a moment for himself. To come to terms with what had happened and to plan for what was to come. "Why didn't you ever tell me any of this Nicholas?"

"_**The short answer is that I was seeking to protect you… from myself among others."**_

Raising his head so fast that it was a wonder he didn't injure his neck, Mana gazed around the room. Of course there was nothing to see but for a moment he could have sworn that he had heard the familiar, slightly musical, voice of his younger brother. "Must be the stress," he muttered as he got to his feet. Shaking his head Mana made his way over to the dresser where he kept his clothes. He knew that he wouldn't be able to take much with him, just enough for he and Allen to get by with, but that wasn't the reason why he was standing at the dresser in this moment. Opening the top drawer he pushed everything aside to reveal a small black diary, emblazoned with the name Nicholas Walker in elegant script. His eyes misted as he picked up the little black book, something that he hadn't gazed upon since he had buried it beneath clothes that didn't even fit anymore.

With a sigh he recalled the day that it had been given to him by his brother. That was the day that Allen had been left in his care… the day that had changed the lives of all three of them forever.

FLASHBACK

"There's one other thing," Nicholas said as he pulled away from his brother. Reaching into the pocket of his top coat the Musician pulled out what appeared to be a little diary bound in black. He offered the book to Mana, a strange look in his stormy gray eyes. "Could you keep this and give it to Allen when he gets older?"

"Of course," Mana said, reaching out and taking the little book from his brother. He had no idea what was contained within it's pages but it was obvious, by the look in Nicholas' eyes that it was important. Mana vowed, in that moment, that he wouldn't read it's contents but that he would keep it safe for Allen.

END FLASHBACK

He had kept the small book in the top drawer of the dresser ever since that night and yet he had never once read what was written on the pages. As he lightly traced his brother's name with the tip of one finger Mana found himself wondering if perhaps there was more information on the Clan of Noah within. "Is that what was so important little brother? Did you want Allen to know the truth of his bloodlines? Or was it something else?"

And yet despite his curiosity Mana didn't open the book, choosing instead to stow it in the inside pocket of his suit coat. It was the one thing that Allen's father had left for him and Mana vowed that he would keep it safe until the child was a little older. Then he would give to him the item that Nicholas had left behind.

And if Allen chose to share the information inside with him then that was his decision to make.

"I don't have time for this," he suddenly thought to himself, walking over to a closet and dragging out a rather large suitcase. It would be a pain to carry around but hopefully he could manage to cram everything that he and Allen could conceivably need within it. Suddenly acting as a man possessed Mana went around the room, grabbing a couple of sets of clothes for himself. This, coupled together with a razor, was all that he deemed important enough to pack. After all if he needed anything else during his travels then he could always acquire it.

At that moment Mana's packing was interrupted by the sound of high pitching yipping. Turning his head the man watched as Star bounded into the room, a ball clutched in his mouth and his tail wagging furiously.

"I don't have time to play right now," he told the dog, gazing at the little terrier with a rather torn expression on his face. He hadn't even thought about Allen's dog… could they really take him along with them? After all he didn't even really know where they were going to go.

Dropping the ball Star gazed up at Mana, cocking his head to one side in a quizzical manner. The ball rolled across the floor, completely forgotten, as the dog yipped once again before doing a back flip.

Mana sighed as he watched the dog's antics. "Who am I kidding? I can't leave you behind, Allen would never forgive me."

Yipping once again the little terrier did another back flip, seeking to gain the man's attention. No one had played with him since Allen had left to run his little errand and the dog wasn't really happy about this fact.

"That gives me an idea," Mana thought to himself as he left his room and made his way down the hall to the room that belonged to Allen. "Although I don't think that Allen will be very happy about it."

* * *

Sitting in an armchair across from the sofa that Allen was laying on Cross watched the slight rise and fall of the boy's chest. His breathing was incredibly light but it was fairly steady. Seemed that the child would make a full recovery despite the large volume of blood that he had lost.

"Stubborn…" he muttered to himself. "Just like his mother."

"There are worse traits that he could have inherited," a voice said, causing Cross to jump slightly.

Mana chuckled slightly, not really having expected his words to startle the man. After all he seemed like the type who would always been on the alert. Walking into the room, with the little terrier hot on his heels, the man placed his suitcase on the floor before grabbing the syringe and vial of sedative that the doctor had left with him. Stowing them in his pocket he turned his gaze toward Allen. "Guess it's time to go kiddo… I'm sorry about this."

"I'll travel with you until you're out of this city," Cross said gruffly, getting to his feet and stretching his arms up over his head. "Just in case the fat ass or his crony decides to make an appearance."

Mana had no idea who the man was talking about but he nodded his head none the less. He couldn't fight, especially without knowing exactly what it was that he was fighting against, so he didn't argue with Cross' offer of help.

"Alright," he said as he leaned forward and scooped Allen up into his arms. The child moaned softly as he was lifted from the sofa but didn't make any attempts to open his eyes. "I'm sorry Allen, I really am. But we have to get out of here."

This said Mana managed to grab his suitcase, with some difficulty owing to the child that he held in his arms. This was the first time that he had ever been grateful for the fact that Allen was far smaller than normal children his age. Not that this was something that he really had time to dwell on as he turned his attention back to Cross. "We're ready."

"Then let's get the hell out of here," Cross said gruffly, striding out of the room.

Mana took one last look around before turning to follow the red headed general. "Let's go Star," he called out to the dog as he took the first step into the unknown.

"_**Just keep walking…"**_

The voice seemed to echo on the wind and Mana nodded his head, steeling his resolve. That was the only thing that they could do in this situation… just keep walking.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Now Mana, Allen and Star are embarking into the unknown. Where will they end up next? Bet most of you can guess. Til next time, farewell.


	34. Important News

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank my wonderful reviewers: writer.m.d, FalteredGAIT, crazy DGM fan, dgm-mega fan, zenophobia, truegenius13, LyssiBug, usuilove21, Raine Haruto, Jenaminya, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, fan girl 666, Peculiar Top hat, gods clown, TeenageNeko, key46812, Kyrione, PeanutAngel, Howlingwolf94, Variations on Ink, Lelouch, and mysticwolf1896! The support is appreciated more than you know.

Chapter Thirty - Four - Important News

Road was on her way back from her mission to track down the son of her favorite sibling. A mission that she had begged and begged Lord Millennium to allow her to continue. They had briefly ceased their attempts to find him when the reincarnations of the other members of the Clan of Noah had begun to appear but, once the excitement of that had died down, she had requested to once again be allowed to resume her search for the boy. To which the Earl had relented. It had taken a great deal of work, as well as a large amount of luck, but she had stumbled upon the Musician's brat in an out of the way little town in England. She had enjoyed playing with the boy but that had came to an abrupt end what with the arrival of a man who was proving to be no end of trouble for the Noah. And she was irritated beyond all reason thanks to the interruption of that red headed fool from the Black Order. Things had been going so well before he had shown up to spoil everything. And needless to say Road was NOT happy about the way things had played out.

"If that idiot Cross hadn't shown up when he did…"

After her encounter with the child of the brother that she had lost Road made her way back toward the Ark. She was fairly certain that this would be where she would find Lord Millennium and, after everything that had happened, she really needed to speak with him. Because, while he had ordered that Nicholas' son be found and eliminated, Road was no longer sure that this was the best course of action for them to take.

Things had changed rather drastically after all.

The little boy, whose name she hadn't even bothered to learn, appeared to have inherited Noah genes from his father. That was surprising enough, considering the fact that his filthy sub-human mother had been one of those damned Exorcists, but more surprising still was the fact that he seemed able to harness and at least partially use those powers that he had been granted by the superior blood inherited from his father.

Even at his young age.

"He really may be the one we need to move the Ark once more…"

If the child had inherited powers even remotely similar to those of the Musician then he may prove able to remove the curse that his father had placed upon the Ark. It no longer responded to the Heart, the control center, and was thus forever bound to Edo. Or so they had thought.

Road didn't even pause to consider the fact that her thoughts were focused so thoroughly on the youth whom she was supposed to despise. If she had then she may have realized that she was completely infatuated with the boy that she had sought out solely for the pleasure of ending his life. But that was before she had discovered that he was truly a member of her family.

One of the Clan of Noah.

Anxious to impart this bit of news to the Earl, the young Noah girl quickened her steps. She was certain that she would find him in the dining hall in the tower, since this was his favorite place inside the Ark. Skipping along, Road began humming to herself as she traveled along toward the tower that was positioned at the top most point in the Ark. It was cursed and could no longer be moved but it was still home to the newly reestablished Clan of Noah.

"Perhaps I'll soon have a new little brother." The possibility that the Earl may want to take in this child with Noah blood had occurred to her before and, the more she thought about it, the more Road found that she liked the idea. After all he was such an adorable little thing and she was certain that he would be so much fun to play with.

Perhaps even as much fun as the Musician himself had been. And that was something that Road had felt sure was impossible.

* * *

Sitting alone at the large table, that was meant to accommodate so many, the Millennium Earl was lost in thought. Thoughts about the past and how everything had gone so utterly and horribly wrong. The customary grin was still in place across his face but that was undermined by the fact that both of his hands were clenched into fists. The search for the Musician's brat wasn't going at all the way that he had planned and he found himself cursing the black sheep anew. It appeared as though the Noah of Praise had taken great care to hide the sole remaining member of his family but this didn't diminish the Earl's determination to locate the kid.

And completely destroy the brat.

This thought was interrupted however as the door of the dining hall was unceremoniously thrust open. He was fairly sure that he knew who it was because there was really only one who would enter in such a manner. And all doubts vanished as the new arrival spoke. "Lord Millennium!" a familiar voice called out, in a sing songy fashion.

"Hello Road," the Earl practically purred, his gaze going over to the first child. He gazed at her fondly as she skipped over to the place where he was seated at the head of the table and could tell, by the light that was shining in her golden eyes, that something had happened. "And what is it that has you in such good spirits?" There was a very faint note of curiosity in the man's voice as he posed this question to the girl.

A broad smile spread across Road's face as she launched herself at the fat man. Landing in his lap, she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. "I found the boy, Lord Millennium," she whispered, her voice uncharacteristically quiet as she offered the man this bit of news.

The small eyes that were hidden behind the Earl's glasses grew even smaller as he heard these words. "And?"

"Well I was going to get rid of him like you said," Road said, a slight pout forming on her face. "But then some things happened and…"

The Earl listened as her words trailed off and he knew that the boy was still breathing. A thought that only seemed to further his aggravation. "What kind of things?" he questioned, his voice containing just the barest hint of the irritation that was all but consuming him at this point. It wasn't like Road to fail in her missions and he found himself wanting to know exactly what kind of 'things' had happened.

"Well," Road drawled in a slightly uncertain voice, not sure exactly how he was going to take this particular bit of news. It was difficult to judge how the Earl would react to things but there wasn't any way to be sure so, taking a breath, Road just blurted it out. "Not sure how exactly this happened but… the boy has the powers of a Noah."

Now it wasn't an easy thing to do, surprising the Earl, but Road had accomplished the impossible with this little revelation. "You witnessed this first hand?"

Road nodded. "I was having such a good time playing with him that I guess I got a little carried away… And somehow the Noah genes emerged and took control of the boy. He didn't transform completely although his eyes did turn golden. And they were such lovely eyes." Road took a moment to reflect on the boy that she was now hoping would be her new brother. "Such a marvelously murderous light shone in them…" Her tone turned somewhat harsh as she recalled what exactly had transpired next. "But that idiot Cross showed up and interrupted my fun."

"Cross…" The Earl's voice was a low snarl as he uttered this name. The red headed Exorcist who had been allied with the Musician was the bane of his existence and could almost always be counted upon to interrupt his plans. He took a moment to seethe before turning his smile back toward Road. Getting to his feet he held the Noah of Dreams in his arms. "Take me to the place where you found the boy… I want to see this for myself first hand."

"Alright Lord Millennium!" Leaping down from his arms Road summoned one of her doors, more than happy to do as he had ordered. Because it meant that she would be able to see the brown haired boy with the enchanting eyes again.

Following along behind the Noah of Dreams, the Earl was lost in thought. He hadn't expected for the Musician's brat to actually inherit the powers of the Noah and he wasn't exactly one hundred percent certain how he felt about that fact. Thus he refrained from making any kind of decision where the boy was concerned, at least until he had seen him face to face.

After that he would make a decision on the boy's future… or to be more precise whether or not he even had a future.

Using her special door Road took the Millennium Earl to the place where she had left the Musician's bleeding child. Stepping out onto the cobblestone street once more the girl pointed toward the demolished pile of wood where the boy had been buried. "He was there but I can almost guarantee that Cross has done something with him."

The Earl nodded as he made his way over to the pile of debris. Gazing down he saw the tell tale blood stains and his beady eyes shifted about, searching for a trail that he and Road could follow. Unfortunately, aside from a few small droplets, the only blood to be found was on the broken pieces of wood and the ground beneath.

"I'm sorry Lord Millennium," Road said, wishing now that she had chosen to stay behind and fight with the Exorcist General. It was true that the Earl had told her and the others not to engage in fights with the Exorcists for the time being but if she had only stood against him then the chances were good that she would have been able to bring the boy to the Earl.

Something that might have made up for all of the disappointments that the man had suffered as of late.

Returning to the spot where Road was standing the Earl reached out and gently patted her on the head. "No need for you to apologize Road… after all they can't have gotten far. We'll find the boy."

Somewhat cheered up by the words of the Earl, Road offered the man a smile. "Yes," she said, her voice quiet and yet at the same time containing the hint of a sadistic quality within. She was looking forward to the next time that she encountered the brown haired boy from before, looking forward to the opportunity to play with him some more. And of the possibility of once again seeing that marvelous, murderous light shining in his eyes. "We'll find him."

A/N - Another chapter that Allen wasn't in but now the Earl knows the truth of the boy. So what exactly will he choose to do with that knowledge? Stay tuned to the story to find out. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and share your thoughts. And thank you very much to those who have reviewed, you're all wonderful. Sorry that the update was a day late but some things came up.


	35. New Beginnings

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM, never have and never will.

A/N - I would once again like to thank the amazing people who reviewed the last chapter: Genis Reigal - Element Star, Noah of Faith, Lelouch, fan girl 666, Shuuwai, Raine Haruto, usuilove21, Gothicgirl12, zenophobiaz, Jenaminya, Howlingwolf94, key46812, Peculiar Top hat, Variation on Ink, FalteredGAIT, PeanutAngel, dgm-mega fan, 14th Noah, and mysticwolf1896. Thanks so much for the support guys!

Chapter Thirty-Five - New Beginnings

Once they left the house where Mana had been raising his nephew for the past three and a half years the quartet of travelers quickly made their way toward the edge of town. Mana had already expected to have to travel fairly quickly but the leader's pace was beyond even what he had anticipated. The red headed man named Cross seemed to be in a tremendous hurry to put as much distance between them and this town as was humanly possible. Of course this wasn't exactly an easy thing for Mana considering the fact that he was carrying not only an unconscious child but also a rather large suitcase.

Not that Cross seemed to really care about that fact.

"Okay," Mana said after awhile, slightly out of breath owing to the exertion of their trek. He wasn't exactly in the best shape as it was and was having more than a little difficulty keeping up with his companion. "I know that you said we have to leave but do we really have to go this fast?"

"That all depends," Cross called out over his shoulder, not bothering to slow his pace in the slightest. He didn't seem even remotely concerned with the fact that his traveling companion was panting heavily and more than a little out of breath. The man could either keep up and remain under his protection or else he could fall behind and be left to fend for himself and the boy. It was entirely up to him. "Do you want to live or do you want to die a horrific and painful death?"

This question was posed in a matter of fact manner, as though the two of them were merely discussing the weather or some other mundane topic. And not the deaths of Mana and the child that he held most dear.

Now if anyone else had said something like this then Mana would have accused them of joking but, as it were, he wasn't convinced that Cross even had a sense of humor. Which left the man with no alternative except to believe that the words he spoke were the gospel truth, despite his mind's desperate attempts to rationalize it into something else. Something somehow less threatening. But the fact that his brother had been involved in something was a possibility that Mana himself had contemplated when the young man had shown up on his doorstep with Allen in his arms so the concept wasn't wholly unbelievable. And what had happened to Allen only served to support this fact as far as he was concerned. Keeping this thought in mind Mana quickened his steps, making every effort to ignore the burning ache in his chest that represented his lungs' protests to the pace.

"If Allen were awake he would be making fun of me right now," Mana thought to himself as he followed along a short distance behind Cross. Glancing down his eyes lingered on the still form of the child that he held in his arms before they returned to the path that lay ahead of him. "Calling me old or something along those lines." Under normal circumstances the constant teasing annoyed the man to a small degree but in this moment he would give just about anything to hear Allen's teasing voice.

If only so that he would know for certain that the little boy who meant the world to him was going to be okay. And it wasn't just the injuries that he had sustained that concerned Mana, although they were a large part of it. He was also worried about what Cross had told him, about the blood that flowed through Allen's veins.

Mana's thoughts shifted to his brother as the words spoken by the Exorcist General once again rang through his ears. The description of a war that he hadn't even realized was being waged… a war against the very essence of good and evil.

A war in which his brother had supposedly been fighting on the wrong side.

The image of a little boy, looking very much like Allen aside from his slightly curly mahogany hair, appeared in Mana's mind's eye. This ghost from the past lingered for a few moments before being replaced by the tall man with the same mahogany hair who had appeared on his doorstep nearly four years ago with a child in his arms.

"You weren't really bad… were you Nicholas?" This thought led to another, more pressing matter. "And Allen… he isn't going to change is he?"

Hating the very idea that Allen might change into something other than the sweet little boy that he had always been Mana banished the thought completely from his mind. And served to cause the man to lose all of the rational thoughts supporting the red haired man's claims. None of that even entered into his mind at this point as he shook his head fiercely. He didn't care what the man named Cross said, he wasn't going to believe any of it. While it was an indisputable fact that someone had attacked Allen what was less certain was their motives for doing so. It could very well be that it was a completely random act of violence. A horrible thought since the victim had been a helpless child but things like that did sometimes happen.

Denial is truly a horrible thing.

* * *

The Millennium Earl had returned to the tower in the Ark, leaving Road behind to continue the search for the brown haired boy. The boy that he was now even more determined to locate than before, though for slightly different reasons at this point. Gazing at a group of level two Akuma, a smile spread across the face of the Noah of Dreams as she thought about her mission. A mission that she was pleased the Earl had allowed her to continue, once again for completely different reasons than before. "Now listen up… the kid we're looking for is a cute little thing with brown hair and gray eyes. Make sure you bring him back alive… anyone else that he happens to be you can do with as you please."

"Yes Road," the Akuma said in unison, the group turning away from the Noah girl and departing.

"We're going to find you," Road sang out before going to search for the child herself. Secretly she hoped that the Akuma didn't have any luck with their search, though she would never dream of saying something like this out loud. Lord Millennium had ordered her to use the Akuma to help in the search for the boy but she wanted to be the one who found him.

He was so much fun to play with after all.

"I'm going to find you," the Noah girl sang out as she skipped down the cobblestone street, a strange smile on her face. "And when I do we're going to have so much fun."

* * *

The quartet of travelers managed to make it away from the town without incident, though Cross seemed unusually paranoid. The red haired man was constantly gazing over his shoulder, and his gaze never rested for long on the ones following behind. He would occasionally give them a passing glance but it never lingered for any great length of time, as though they couldn't hold his attention. No his interest seemed to lie elsewhere and there was a wary look in his one visible red eye.

As though he expected for something to leap out at them at any moment.

"Should I be concerned about something?" Mana finally inquired after Cross gazed back over his shoulder for what had to be the hundredth time at the very least. Not that Mana had been keeping count but he knew that it had been a lot, though the exact number eluded him. He arched a brow as he took note of the scowl that decorated the man's face; a look that he seemed to have mastered although it looked somehow different than it had before.

"You should be concerned about a lot of things," Cross deadpanned as he continued to gaze around. He had made an attempt to impress upon the man the seriousness of the situation but it didn't appear as though he had completely grasped it. Either that or he was choosing not to heed Cross' warnings, in which case he was a fool. Of course that wasn't wholly unexpected considering the fact that he and that brat the Musician were related by blood. The man would have been beyond surprised to find that his brother was different than the arrogant brat that he had joined forces with in his battle against the Earl. Not that such things weren't possible… just not probable.

Taking note of the tone of the man's voice Mana couldn't keep himself from gazing around, his searching gaze meeting with nothing but the trees that lined the road on either side. They had left the town and entered into the forest that bordered it, the sound of birds the only interruption in the silence. And yet the man couldn't deny the fact that something, some unknown feeling, was causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. It felt almost as though someone were watching him, despite the fact that there was no one in view.

And, as though he too could sense the unseen disturbance, Allen moaned in a soft voice.

Glancing down at the child that he held in his arms Mana saw that Allen's face was scrunched up as though he were in pain. "Shh," he whispered in a soothing tone of voice, tightening the grip that he had on the child in an effort to offer him the small amount of comfort that he was able to in their current situation. "I'm sorry Allen, I really am. But we just have to keep walking."

"Stop," Cross snarled suddenly.

Mana was slightly irritated by this order, as well as the harsh tone in which it was delivered, and he scowled. He knew that the man was helping him but that really was no excuse for blatant rudeness. "I was just talking to him and…"

"I meant stop walking," Cross said, throwing out an arm in an effort to halt Mana's forward progress.

The brown haired man had been so focused on his child that he hadn't even noticed that Cross had came to an abrupt halt. He would have walked into the larger man if he hadn't suddenly looked up, coming to a stop mere inches from the hand that Cross was holding out. "What is it?" he asked, his voice low and concerned.

He didn't like the look that Cross held in his eye and it served to put him on edge. Or, to be more precise, more on edge than he already had been.

And Mana's fear was only increased by the sight of Cross flipping his coat aside to reveal a large firearm that he wore in a holster at his side. The red haired man gripped the butt of the gun, drawing it from the holster and holding it up in front of him. "I know you're there," he snarled, his tone feral and intense. "So stop hiding like a bunch of cowards and come out."

Gazing around Mana didn't see anyone and for a moment he thought that perhaps his traveling companion had lost his mind. However this thought was banished as a group of people emerged from the trees, offering them apologetic smiles. It appeared to be a family, comprised of an elderly man, a man and woman, as well as a small child.

And yet Cross continued to point his gun at them as though they were a threat.

A low and menacing growl could be heard as Star moved forward, head low and teeth bared. The dog had always been friendly so it was surprising that he seemed to bear such animosity toward this group of strangers but that was less concerning to Mana than the fact that Cross was pointing a gun at them.

"What are you doing?" Mana demanded as he moved to stand between Cross and the group of unlucky people who'd had the misfortune of crossing their path.

"Get the fuck out of the way," Cross growled, his voice not seeming to contain an ounce of patience. "Unless you and the brat both want to die."

For the briefest of moments Mana thought that this was a threat coming from the red haired man himself but that thought abruptly disappeared as he heard an unearthly noise behind him. Glancing over his shoulder Mana grimaced and then stepped back as he witnessed the seemingly ordinary humans undergo some strange transformation.

"Hand over the boy Exorcist," one of them snarled, stepping forward. "If you do that then I promise we'll have mercy and kill you quickly."

Cross arched a brow as he leveled the gun out, the barrel pointed toward the creature that stood before him. "Does shit like that ever work, honestly? I would have expected a level two to have at least a little more brains than that but I guess it was just too much to ask for."

"Judgment!"

Pulling the trigger of the large pistol in rapid succession Cross managed to make short work of the Akuma. It was true that there were four of them but they weren't very skilled… and his bullets never missed their intended target. The explosions caused by the defeat of the creatures shook the ground as Cross sheathed his weapon and turned his attention back toward a rather stunned looking Mana. "Pick your jaw up off the ground and move your ass," he ordered as he once again continued down the road. "Someone's going to notice the fireworks and I don't know about you but I want to be far from here when that happens." Normally the Exorcist General would be all for a fight, since it was a good way to relieve stress and he had more than his share of that at the moment, but keeping the Noah brat's family out of harm's way was an annoyance that he would just as soon be rid of.

As soon as possible.

For once Mana didn't have to be asked twice, quickly falling into step behind Cross. "What were those things?" he asked as he struggled to keep pace with the red haired Exorcist.

"Akuma," Cross replied, gazing around as though he expected more of the creatures to appear at any moment. "Living weapons created by the Millennium Earl to combat the threat of the Exorcists. They're dangerous and I can guarantee that this won't be the last time that you see them."

"Why is that?" Mana questioned, despite the fact that he wasn't really sure if he wanted the answer as it was likely to be something unpleasant.

"Because of the Innocence embedded in the boy's hand," Cross replied. "The Earl is out to destroy the pieces of Innocence and the Akuma seek it relentlessly."

A haunted light appeared in Mana's eyes as he gazed down at the child that he held cradled to his chest. It seemed that fate truly had played a cruel joke on the boy and that the path he walked would ever be a difficult one.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Please leave a review and share your thoughts. And thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed thus far.


	36. Lessons for Survival

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM nor any of the wonderful characters therein.

A/N - I would once again like to thank the wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter: truegenius13, crazy DGM fan, fan girl 666, Variations on Ink, Genis Reigal - Element Star, PeanutAngel, LyssiBug, key46812, dgm-mega fan, zenophobiaz, FalteredGAIT, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, gothicgirl12, Jenaminya, Noah of Faith, Gracie Girl, Howlingwolf94, Peculiar Top hat, Kyrione, and Lelouch. Your support is greatly appreciated, thank you all so much!

Chapter Thirty-Six - Lessons for Survival

After they were attacked by the strange and somewhat terrifying creatures known as Akuma, Mana and Cross upped their pace even further. Which was something that Mana hadn't thought possible but he had dug down deep inside of himself and found a reserve of stamina that he hadn't realized he possessed. Apparently when one's life was at stake even the impossible could be made possible. At first Mana hadn't understood the need for such an inhuman pace but that opinion had changed. Drastically. Now the man knew for certain that they needed to get as far away from the area as was humanly possible, before someone or something else caught up with them.

By nightfall they had managed to travel several miles and yet the red haired Exorcist General still wasn't overly pleased with their progress. He knew that those pursuing them were relentless and would have no need for rest, which meant that they didn't really have the time nor the luxury to be slacking off themselves.

"Uhn…." Gazing down Mana saw that Allen had a grimace on his face and appeared as though he were trying to regain consciousness. As well as in pain. Recalling the parting words of the doctor, and not wanting poor little Allen to suffer any more than he had to, Mana turned his attention to Cross. Jogging in an effort to catch up to the man, who was walking several yards ahead of him, the young man said, "We need to stop for a little while."

As though he too sensed the urgency the little terrier that was trailing along at Mana's heels whimpered softly, gazing up as though in an attempt to see his young master.

"Do you honestly have a death wish?" Cross growled, his one visible eye narrowing as he gazed at his pair of travel companions, a look of complete and utter annoyance etched plainly on his features. The man was fairly certain that he knew the reason why Mana wanted to stop so damn bad but refused to acknowledge that there might just be some validity to his desire. If only just the tiniest amount. He had heard the whimper of the child but had opted to ignore it in the hopes that, as the old saying went, if he ignored it long enough then it would go away.

"No," Mana snapped in retort, narrowing his own, normally kind, brown eyes at this stubborn ass of a man. The harsh edge was plainly audible in his voice, all the more surprising because the man was normally soft spoken. Of course this situation made such actions necessary as far as he was concerned. He could tolerate a lot of things but indifference to the suffering of his child was the one thing that he absolutely refused to put up with. "But the doctor told me to keep Allen sedated so I have to give him another dose of the drugs before he wakes up."

Cursing the Musician and his entire family, as well as any future descendants he might gain through Allen, with every breath that he took Cross was none the less forced to relent. Scanning their surroundings he noticed a grove of trees which he pointed to with a grunt. "We'll stop here… and since I'm going to have to put up a protective barrier we may as well spend the night."

Hopefully that would prevent future whining from the man.

Mana looked confused as he heard these words. First the man had said that they couldn't stop and now he had turned around and was saying that they were going to spend the night in this place. That didn't make any sense what so ever and he opened his mouth to state this fact but paused as he watched the man withdraw something from the inside pocket of his coat. At first glance it appeared to be a small charm but it was in a rather strange shape, one that Mana could swear he'd never seen the likes of before..

That of a coffin.

Now more confused that ever Mana watched as Cross gazed at the coffin-shaped charm with a look that appeared almost, though Mana wouldn't have dreamed it possible for the man, sad. There was also a trace of guilt in the expression which Mana found wholly surprising for this man whose only perceivable emotion seemed to be anger.

"Perhaps he is human after all…" Mana couldn't help but think to himself as he caught this flash of emotion from the man. It was such a rarity after all and caught him completely off guard.

Completely ignoring both Mana and the child that he still held clutched tightly in his arms Cross placed the coffin shaped charm carefully on the ground, with great care. Gently as though it were a precious and fragile artifact. Then, after rising back to his full height, the red haired man spoke the incantation that once again caused the coffin to grow to life size, a twinge of guilt knowing at his heart as he did so. As it grew it was revealed that the coffin was wrapped with a chain, which Cross immediately unwound before quietly uttering the release spell.

Star growled low, the hair on the back of his neck rising as he eyed this strange new creature that had appeared.

Mana watched in shocked amazement, so surprised that he didn't even notice the growls issuing from the dog, as the coffin opened to reveal the form of a woman, dressed in a black ball gown. Her face was covered by a mask, with her mouth and nose the only things visible. This was wholly unlike anything that the young man had ever borne witness to and he was at a loss for words.

"Magdala Curtain activate!"

At the sound of this command the woman opened her mouth and began to sing, as the air pulsed with a strange energy.

"Deal with the boy," Cross snarled, now seeming to be in an even worse mood than he had been previously. Which was something that Mana wouldn't have dreamed possible, though he didn't say anything on the subject. "They won't be able to find us now."

Mana didn't even bother to ask how that was possible as he placed his suitcase down on the ground, still supporting Allen with one arm. Using his free hand the man opened the suitcase, removing from it the thick winter coat that he had brought alone. Spreading it out on the ground Mana gently placed Allen on it, hoping that the thick fabric of the coat would at least cushion the child a little from the hard ground. Not ideal by any means but currently the best that Mana had to offer to the child who meant more to him than life its self.

Allen whimpered again as he was placed on the coat that Mana had spread out on the ground. His eyes were clenched tightly closed as though he were in a great amount of pain or else in the throes of a terrible nightmare. Either way Mana wanted to alleviate his pain and, with this thought in mind, the man reached into the pocket of his top coat and removed the syringe and vial of sedatives that the doctor had given him. He'd only had the briefest of demonstrations on how to administer the injection and felt a twinge of fear as he stuck the tip of the needle into the top of the vial, drawing out the correct dose. "Please don't let me mess this up," Mana silently prayed to whatever guardian deity might currently be watching over them. And hopefully there was one because they sorely needed it at the moment. Holding up the syringe he pushed on the plunger until a stream of liquid sprayed from the needle, getting rid of any air bubbles that might happen to be contained within, having been told by Dr. Baker that these were dangerous. Kneeling beside the child Mana gently rolled up Allen's right shirt sleeve, exposing the pale flesh beneath. Allen hadn't yet recovered from the blood loss and thus his skin had a sickly pale tinge to it. After taking a brief moment to combat the shakiness of his hand, Mana gave the child the injection, still hoping that he had remembered all of the doctor's instructions.

Whining Star crawled over to Allen, snuggling himself against the boy's side and placing his head on his front paws. The dog seemed to sense that something was seriously wrong and was seeking to offer comfort to his young master in the only way possible for him. By simply being at his side.

Putting the cap back on the syringe Mana placed both it and the vial back in his pocket before reaching out and running a hand through Allen's soft hair. "It's going to be okay, Allen… I'm not sure exactly how yet but we'll make it through this."

"If you're going to survive this then there are a few things that you're going to have to learn," Cross spoke from his position a few feet away. He was kneeling on the ground, with the strange woman standing behind him, and there was an almost thoughtful expression on his face.

Removing his jacket Mana used it to cover Allen's prone form before he acknowledged the fact that the red haired man had spoken to him. Getting to his feet he turned in the other man's direction, a questioning expression in his brown eyes. "And what exactly do I need to learn?"

"A way to protect yourself and the boy from the Akuma," Cross replied, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world.

Mana's face paled. "I can't fight those things."

"No you can't," Cross stated in a matter of fact tone of voice. "What I'm referring to is a way to hide yourselves until the threat is gone… at which point you and the brat can make a run for it."

This didn't sound any more likely to Mana than actually fighting off the creatures but he didn't lend voice to this particular opinion. Gazing around he carefully eyed the shadows cast by the trees that surrounded them, on edge. He had no idea what exactly was supposed to be protecting them from the enemies that were in pursuit but he felt ill at ease. As though something was glaring at his back in preparation for an attack.

Was this the way that he was going to feel from now on? As though both he and Allen had targets on their backs? This thought was so frightening that it actually caused a shiver to run down Mana's spine.

"How is that even possible?" Mana demanded, his tone slightly bitter as he strode over to confront Cross. He left Star to look after Allen, knowing that the little terrier wouldn't leave his side and that he would alert Mana should anything about the boy's condition change.

"Through magic," Cross deadpanned, a serious expression in his red eye.

If he had heard this only a few days ago Mana would have laughed in the man's face but at this point, he was beginning to believe in the unbelievable. The creatures called Akuma, as well as the strange woman that Cross had seemed to summon out of a charm that he carried in his pocket, had cemented in his mind that there were things in this world that defied explanation.

Plus there was the matter of his brother but he was choosing to ignore this for the time being. Still in denial about this particular part of the story.

"I can teach you a couple of incantations that will help to protect you," Cross stated, the faces of the ghosts that haunted him briefly appearing in his mind's eye as he spoke. "But you'd better be good at memorization because we don't have a lot of time."

"I'll learn them," Mana stated, his voice filled with determination. He was still in turmoil over every thing that had happened but knew that he had to learn what the Exorcist was willing to teach if he wanted to have any chance of protecting Allen.

So, while Allen slept and Maria sang, Cross set about teaching Mana spells that it had taken him months to master. He knew that the odds were stacked against the brother of the Musician but there wasn't anything that could be done for it. He would teach him what he could and the rest would be up to Mana.

"I hope that you're happy brat," Cross internally ranted, his thoughts focusing squarely on the fallen Noah for a brief moment. "The fault for all of this rests squarely on your shoulders."

* * *

Cross spent the better part of the night teaching the spells to Mana, keeping his fingers crossed that the man actually had the skills necessary to pull off the magic. Not everyone could after all and there was really no way to tell until you put it to practical use. The words themselves were easy enough to learn but the execution was another matter entirely. Resolving to test the theory the next time that they encountered a group of low level Akuma Cross continued to repeat himself until the Musician's brother had learned the words to each of the spells and could recite them on command.

"Guess you aren't as stupid as I thought…" An insult for some but high praise coming from the mouth of Cross Marian.

Not sure whether to say thank you or else punch the man in the nose Mana opted for neither. Instead he merely inclined his head to the man before making his way back over to the spot where Allen was lying. The child was still, his face now serene. Which of course Mana attributed more to the drugs that he had been given than anything else. Sitting down at the child's side Mana reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from Allen's face. Star gazed up at the man briefly before once again placing his head on his front paws. With a sigh the dog went back to his silent vigil over the child.

"We're going to make it Allen," he whispered, his voice meant solely for the sleeping child.

Star whimpered and, reaching out with his other hand, Mana absently scratched the dog behind the ears. The little terrier had always enjoyed this and seemed to need to be comforted as well. Not surprising since he had been forced to leave everything that was familiar just as he and Allen had.

"Don't worry Star," Mana spoke softly to Allen's little dog. "I have a plan and we're going to make it. We just have to keep moving forward."

A/N - End of another chapter and now Mana knows a bit of magic. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please be kind enough to leave a review on your way out. And thank you SO much to those who have reviewed in the past, as well as those who added this story to their Favorite/Alerts lists. You're all awesome and you make my work worthwhile.


	37. Starting Anew

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank all those who submitted reviews to the last chapter: Arceus the Creator, 14th Noah, dgm-mega fan, Variations on Ink, Peculiar Top hat, zenophobiaz, mysticwolf1896, Genis Reigal - Element Star, key46812, Lelouch, Noah of Faith, FalteredGAIT, the-ice-cold-alchemist, fan girl 666, Isana, PeanutAngel, LilyMoonstone, Gracie Girl, truegenius13, and Miss. Jessi-Pon.

Chapter Thirty - Seven - Starting Anew

Three days of running had left Mana completely exhausted, both physically and mentally. He had been following the doctor's instructions to the letter, keeping Allen sedated so that the child wouldn't cause himself further injury by any unnecessary movement. And, while this had shielded the little boy from most of the trauma of their escape, it only served to make things more difficult for Mana. Not that the leader of their rather unusual procession seemed to care; all Cross seemed concerned with was the pace at which they were traveling.

Thankfully, after the first encounter with the Akuma, they had remarkably smooth sailing. They didn't come across so much as another soul as they traveled through a rather expansive wooded area and this was just fine as far as Mana was concerned. Although he was beginning to think that perhaps it had been a waste of his time and energy to learn the spells that Cross had taught him.

Perhaps seeing those Akuma that one time had merely been a fluke.

"Can you walk any slower?" Cross snarled from his position a few feet ahead of Mana. The brown haired man had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had allowed himself to lag behind and the red head absolutely hated this.

"As a matter of fact I can," Mana retorted, feeling just the tiniest bit rebellious as of late. Quite frankly he was tired of the man snapping at him over every little thing and acting as though he were put out by helping them. If it was that big of a deal then as far as Mana was concerned the man could just be on his way and he and Allen would manage by themselves.

Cross seemed somewhat taken aback by the man's retort and he fell silent, though his quick pace did not lessen. Let the man fall behind if that was his desire, the red head couldn't bring himself to care. The nagging voice in the back of his mind that reminded him of a promise he made could be silenced easily enough once he found some alcohol. He had already been sober for WAY too long and couldn't wait to drink enough to drive away these incessant feelings of guilt.

And the ghosts that seemed to haunt his every waking moment.

As though deeming it necessary to add his two cents worth into this argument Star issued a couple of sharp yips. Gazing back Cross regarded the dog coldly for a moment before turning his gaze back in the direction that they were traveling. This entire group that he was traveling with was so damn annoying.

Still inwardly cursing the Musician, the Exorcist came to a stop as a pair of Akuma stepped out into the path ahead of them. These particular minions of the Millennium Earl weren't even making any attempt to hide what they were, as was apparent by the fact that they weren't wearing their artificial skins. Cross narrowed his eyes before shifting his attention back to Mana. "Time to test out what you've learned," he informed the Musician's brother, a harsh note to his voice. "Let's hope that you're a good study."

"I hate you," Mana muttered as he quickly went through the list of the incantations that he had been taught. Making a decision on the best one to use he quickly muttered the spell, at the same time praying to all the powers that be that it would actually work. Because it was pretty much the only defensive option that was left to him and Allen and if it didn't work then they were royally screwed.

"And I don't care," Cross sneered as he listened to Mana quote the spell that would hide their presence from the Akuma. He waited a moment, to make sure that it was going to work, before drawing Judgment. It seemed as though the Musician's brother truly was a quick study since the spell actually worked on the first try. The Exorcist General was forced to grudgingly admit that he was mildly impressed since that wasn't what he had been expecting.

"Guess he has more brains than I gave him credit for," the red head thought to himself as he pointed the barrel of Judgment at the Akuma. For their part the enemies were gazing around in confusion, owing to the fact that their targets appeared to have disappeared. Pulling the trigger several times in rapid succession he watched as the Akuma were destroyed. The battle was rather anti-climactic but there wasn't really anything that could be done about that when you were going up against weaklings.

"So did I pass?" Mana asked as he released the spell that he had cast. There was a rather smug expression on his face as he turned his gaze toward Cross. It wasn't like him to act in such a manner but he thought that he had earned the right after the way Cross had been treating him for the past three days.

"You may just live after all," was all that Cross would say as he sheathed his weapon and once again began walking. He didn't tell Mana to hurry, since the man had snapped at him the last time. It was up to the man whether or not he kept up.

* * *

A couple of hours later the group arrived at a little out of the way village, beside which a circus had set up shop. This was better than Mana could have hoped for and he couldn't keep a small smile from spreading across his face at the sight that met his gaze. Nodding his head in approval of the situation Mana turned his attention toward Cross. "This town will be perfect."

"Are you insane?" Cross demanded, glaring at the brown haired man. Now he had heard some stupid shit in his life but this had to top the list... and that was saying something what with all that he had put up with during his acquaintance with the Musician. And something that he hadn't really thought possible.

"Possibly," Mana stated calmly, not backing down. He had decided upon his course of action and wasn't willing to let Cross or anyone else change his mind. This really was the only option that was left to him and he was determined to make the best out of a bad situation. "However since Allen and I will have to move around so that this Earl person doesn't find us, and we don't exactly have a long list of skills, it seems only logical that we run away and join the circus."

Hearing this all Cross could do was gape.

"Allen's little dog is going to help us earn a living," Mana said, his gaze shifting down to the little terrier who was sitting at his side. Allen had spent years teaching the little dog various tricks and Mana was banking on the fact that the circus wouldn't already have a similar act. Glancing up as though realizing that the man was talking to him Star issued a whimper. "Granted Allen himself isn't going to be overly happy about this prospect but it's pretty much our only option."

"Whatever," Cross said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "I wash my hands of this matter entirely so you just do whatever you want to do."

Mana nodded as he watched the man walk away. In truth he was a little nervous about being left to his own devices, especially after having encountered the creatures known as Akuma not once but twice. However he wasn't really all that sad to be rid of Cross since the man was far from pleasant to be around. He was perpetually in a foul mood and Mana didn't particularly enjoy spending time around him.

"Come Star," Mana said, turning to walk in the direction opposite the one that Cross had chosen. There was a small inn visible at the end of the street and it was to this building that Mana made his way now. The few hours of sleep that they had managed to get had been spent out in the elements and Mana was actually looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed for a change. "We could all use a little rest."

When they reached the inn Mana walked up to the front desk, where he was soon greeted by an older woman. "Can I help you sir?"

"I hope so," Mana said, offering the woman a smile. "I would like a room for the night…" His gaze shifted first to Allen and then to the little terrier. "For the three of us if that's possible."

The woman stared at the little dog for a moment before nodding. "I have plenty of rooms available." Reaching underneath the front desk she produced a key, which she offered to Mana. "Second floor, first door on your right."

"Thank you ma'am," Mana said, nodding his head in her direction before heading toward the stairs. He quickly made his way to the door that she had indicated and, placing the suitcase down on the ground and balancing Allen in one arm, he opened the door. Star immediately rushed inside and, chuckling softly to himself, Mana picked up his suitcase and followed along behind the little dog. The little terrier leapt up onto one of the beds and, walking over to it, Mana gently placed Allen upon it.

Star immediately moved to Allen's side, whimpering softly as he nudged his young master with the tip of his muzzle.

"Don't worry Star," Mana said, sitting down on the edge of the child's bed, grateful for the chance to rest his aching feet. Reaching his hand out he absently ran a hand through Allen's hair. The child's breathing was regular and he was fairly certain that the child was going to make a complete recovery. It had been touch and go for awhile but he seemed out of danger now, for which Mana was incredibly grateful. "Allen's going to be just fine."

The wound on the boy's shoulder was healing fairly well, all things considered, and Mana had made the decision to allow the child to regain consciousness. For the last three days he had poured water down the little boy's throat, so that he didn't become dehydrated, but he hadn't had a bite to eat in nearly four days.

An eternity for Allen.

Getting to his feet the man absently walked over to the other bed, sitting down and running a hand through his own hair.

"I hope I have enough money to afford to feed him," Mana mused to himself as he stretched out on the bed. The softness of the mattress felt good to his aching back and, before he even realized it, the man fell asleep. It hadn't been his plan to sleep but the exhaustion had finally caught up to him and he found himself simply unable to keep his eyes open any longer. The few hours of sleep that he had managed in the last few days had been far from peaceful and he was taking advantage of this lull in action... as well as the soft bed.

* * *

The first thing that Allen was aware of upon regaining consciousness was a fierce burning pain in his left shoulder… but this feeling was soon eclipsed by the gnawing ache in his stomach. Groaning he opened his gray eyes, pulling himself to a partially upright position so that he could gaze around the strange room. Sucking in a sharp breath he felt a moment of panic before his searching gaze fell upon Mana's sleeping form.

Whimpering Star nuzzled his master, desperate for some acknowledgment from the boy.

"What's going on Star?" Allen asked, his voice hoarse from lack of use. There was a look of confusion on his face and he couldn't help but ask this question, despite knowing that the dog was incapable of answering.

The dog could only whine.

The sound of Allen's hoarse voice immediately roused Mana from his sleep and, pulling himself to a sitting position, he gazed over at the child. He was glad to see that the child had regained consciousness and appeared much better than he had for the last couple of days. Granted his skin was still pale but not to the extent that it had been. And after the amount of blood that Allen had lost it was to be expected. Offering him a comforting smile the man said, "Welcome back to the world of the living Allen."

"What happened Father?" Allen questioned, hoping that he would get some answers now that Mana was awake. "Where are we?"

"We're at an inn," Mana replied, not really having paid much attention to the name of the town they were in. Not that it really seemed all that important, given everything else that he had on his mind at the moment.

"Why?" Allen asked, moving to sit up further and wincing as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. "And why does my shoulder hurt so bad?"

Mana was instantly concerned. Rising from his own bed he made his way over to the one upon which Allen was lying, sitting down beside the child. For a moment he merely gazed at the little boy through concerned brown eyes, not sure exactly how to go about gaining this information without further adding to the trauma that the child had already suffered. "Allen… you don't remember what happened?"

The child tilted his head slightly to the side, obviously confused. "What are you talking about?"

So the child didn't remember anything about the attack that had left him with the injury and caused them to have to leave their home. Mana was a little concerned about this fact but in the end decided that it was for the best. The less Allen knew about the situation then the better off he would be. "I'll tell him when he's older," Mana thought to himself before offering Allen another comforting smile. "You had a bit of an accident my boy… but you're healing quite nicely."

This didn't really serve to alleviate Allen's confusion but he didn't question the explanation. "So why aren't we at home?"

"Well I've been telling you for years that your appetite was going to force me to get a job," Mana said, a slightly joking tone to his voice. "And it's finally happened. So we've traveled to this town in search of a job."

"What kind of job?" Allen questioned, propping himself up with his right elbow as he gazed at his father.

"I've decided that we're going to join the circus," Mana said carefully, his eyes locked onto the boy so that he could gauge his reaction. "As clowns."

Allen made a face. "You can't be serious," the boy whined.

"Oh but I am," Mana said.

The look on Allen's face didn't change, nor did the petulant tone of his voice. "But I HATE clowns!"

A/N - End of another chapter and Allen has now rejoined the world of the living. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. And for those who have reviewed, thank you once again. You're all wonderful.


	38. Send in the Clowns

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank all of the people who reviewed the last chapter of the story: LyssiBug, Joker Oak, Genis Reigal - Element Star, PeanutAngel, LadyDrago88, dgm-mega fan, Crazy-Mellow-Chan, fan girl 666, Peculiar Top hat, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, Howlingwolf94, Lelouch, key46812, absentminded, Dracoqueen19, Arceus the Creator, Gracie Girl, zenophobiaz, crazy DGM fan, Noah of Faith, and XxXx Seriously Injured xXxX. Thank you so much, all of your reviews were appreciated more than you know.

Chapter Thirty-Eight - Send in the Clowns

Mana got to his feet, stretching out his aching joints. Those days on the road had really done a number on him, seeing as he wasn't accustomed to so much physical exertion. All of his muscles ached but he pushed this thought to the back of his mind as he gazed down at the child who was propped up on one elbow on the bed. "I know that you hate clowns Allen but there aren't really that many options for people who don't have skills. And I'm definitely one of those people."

"But Father…" the whining quality was unusual for the child but Allen was beyond displeased with the man's decision. Leaving home wasn't that big of a deal to the child but the fact that Mana wanted him to become a clown was bad. He pulled himself to a sitting position so that he could gaze up at his father, his eyes turned up toward the man. "I don't wanna be a clown."

To be perfectly honest Mana wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea himself. He had never been overly fond of large crowds, which would make working as a performer far from ideal. But he and Allen needed to stay on the move, to avoid any of the people who seemed to want to cause his child harm, and this was the best way in which to accomplish that. Then there was the matter of making enough money to sustain themselves, for which being a performer was ideal owing to Allen's little terrier. "I'm sorry Allen," he said, holding up his hands in a placating manner. "But I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think."

"No," Allen said, crossing his arms over his small chest. Immediately he regretted this move, as it caused the wound in his shoulder to protest with a fierce stab of pain, but the angry look on his face didn't change. "It'll be worse."

Seeing the wince and knowing the reason behind it Mana moved forward, shaking his head as he did so. Kneeling down in front of the child, so that the two of them were at eye level, Mana carefully removed the boy's shirt so that he could examine the wound. He carefully removed the bandages, revealing the mark that had been left behind by Road's candle. "That attitude isn't going to help anything Allen," Mana admonished lightly as he picked up a clean cloth and began to carefully dab at the wound, making sure not to pull on the stitches. The boy winced again as he did this but Mana continued, cleansing the wound before rubbing on some ointment that he had purchased from a pharmacy here in town. He then carefully re-bandaged the wound, making every effort not to cause Allen any undo discomfort. "There are times in life when we all have to do things that we don't particularly want to do."

Allen regarded Mana for a moment, as though thinking about his words. There was such an uncharacteristically solemn look on the boy's face that it actually made Mana laugh, despite the situation. The brown haired child scowled up at the man but, before he could make any comment about the uncalled for laughter, his stomach issued a very audible, and somewhat embarrassing growl.

If anything this only made Mana's amusement grown. Chuckling softly to himself, in an attempt not to further irritate his young charge, the man offered Allen his hand. "C'mon Allen, what do you say we get something to eat?"

The scowl immediately left the child's face as Allen scrambled to his feet, seizing Mana by the hand and practically pulling him toward the door. His stormy gray eyes were shining and it was obvious that he thought the idea of getting food was a great one. "Come on Father…" he coaxed, trying to convince Mana to move faster.

"Settle down Allen ma'boy," Mana said, shaking his head as he gazed down at the child. There was amusement written plainly on his face but also the underlying hint of concern. "You shouldn't overexert yourself… your body still needs time to heal."

"But I'm SO hungry," Allen countered, giving Mana's hand yet another tug just for good measure.

"I know Allen and I'm sorry," Mana said, gripping the small hand that he held and making his way toward the door. It would probably be best to get the child something to eat as soon as possible, a knowledge which served to spur Mana forward. He gave Allen's hand a comforting squeeze, once again feeling guilty over the fact that he had kept the little boy drugged to the point of senselessness for the past three days. Despite the fact that he'd had the child's best interests in mind when he made the decision to do so. "But the doctor told me that it would be best to keep you sedated so that you didn't cause yourself any further injury."

Allen's gaze briefly darted his left shoulder, which still ached when he moved it the wrong way, but this paled in comparison to the insistent, gnawing ache in his stomach. "Food's more important," he insisted as the two of them reached the door.

"I know," Mana chuckled before turning his attention back to the little dog who was still lying on the bed. Giving a short whistle he called out, "Come on Star, you too."

The little terrier gave a sharp little yip before leaping off the bed and coming to stand at his young master's side. With a whine he rubbed his head against Allen's leg a couple of times, wagging his stump of a tail furiously. Reaching down Allen scratched the back of the dog's ear for a moment before turning gray eyes toward Mana. "Father… food."

"I know, I know," Mana said, opening the door and ushering his brood outside. "C'mon, let's get Allen something to eat before he's forced to do something drastic."

"That's not funny Father," Allen said, frowning at Mana for the briefest of moments before the smile returned. The prospect of food was enough to keep him happy despite the teasing of his father… as well as the pain in his shoulder. He really did have a one track of mind where his stomach was concerned.

Together the trio of travelers left the inn, making their way across town toward a small café that Mana had spied upon their arrival. He was always keeping an eye out for places to procure food owing to Allen's bottomless pit stomach. And the plus with this little place was the fact that there were tables outside, so that they could stay out with Star and not leave the dog to his own devices. Something that he didn't want to do given the dog's hyperactive nature.

"Alright Allen," Mana said, turning his attention back to the child as they arrived at the café. "Sit tight out here with Star and I'll get us all something to eat."

"'Kay Father," Allen said brightly, hopping up onto one of the chairs and watching as Star moved to lie beneath it. The little terrier placed his muzzle on his paws, seeming to want to stay close to his master. Mana smiled at the pair before turning to enter the café.

Sitting on the chair, Allen gazed around at his surroundings as he idly swung his legs back and forth. His legs were too short to allow his feet to touch the ground but this didn't really bother him. Idly the child hummed a haunting little tune as he waited semi patiently for the return of his father.

Walking down the street, a short distance away, a man drew to a halt as he passed by the café where the child sat humming to himself. His gaze shifted to the small form, staring intently at the brown haired child… at least until a man came out to join him. Acting as though nothing had happened the man continued on his way down the street, his hands in his pockets and his gaze focused squarely ahead.

"Here ya go Allen ma'boy," Mana said cheerfully, setting down several large helpings of food in front of the child. Allen beamed up at his father for a moment before he began to literally inhale the food that the man had brought.

Shaking his head in amazement, and vaguely wondering if he was even tasting any of the food, Mana tossed some food to Star. Because the little dog hadn't eaten since the day before and he didn't want to neglect the animal.

For the briefest of moments Mana felt as though they were being watched by something but, after gazing around and not seeing anything, he shrugged off this feeling. Sitting down across the child he watched as Allen finished off the food, having wolfed it all down in record time. The brown haired boy had a contented smile on his face and for a moment Mana could pretend that things were still the way that they had always been.

Before Allen's attack and the revelations about his brother had turned their lives upside down and made everything complicated.

"You okay Father?"

Mana was jarred from his thoughts by this tentative voice and as he turned toward Allen he caught the hint of concern in those stormy orbs that he had inherited from Nicholas. Forcing a smile on his face despite the fact that the sight was threatening to make him collapse into tears at any moment the man nodded his head. Whether he was fine or not he had to pretend to be for the little boy who meant the world to him. "I'm fine Allen… just thinking."

"'Bout what?" the child pressed, his gaze still unusually intense as he gazed at the man who had raised him. The man that he believed to be his father.

"Nothing important," Mana said with a chuckle. "Just contemplating when would be the best time to go and speak to the owners of the circus."

And that served to effectively get Allen's mind away from the musings of his father. A scowl once again appeared on the child's face as he thought about joining the circus… as a clown. "I still don't wanna…"

"I know Allen," Mana said as he got to his feet, motioning for the child to follow suit. Allen reluctantly slid from the chair and moved to stand beside his father, allowing the man to wrap and arm around his shoulders. "But it's what we have to do okay?"

"Alright." Allen still didn't sound completely convinced but it was apparent that he was willing to follow through with this plan simply because Mana asked it of him. "C'mon Father… let's just get this over with."

Mana had absolutely no idea what had come over his child but wasn't going to second guess him on this particular statement. If Allen said that they should get it over with then he was all for it since it meant that he wouldn't have to drag the child kicking and screaming toward the circus grounds. A scenario that he had vividly pictured more than once after making the decision to join the circus as clowns. "If you're sure…"

Allen merely shook his head before whistling for his little dog. Star was immediately at the boy's side, reaching down to pat his head affectionately before gazing back at Mana. "Not sure… far from sure… but if I have to do it then I have to do it."

Mana had to keep himself from chuckling as he watched Allen and Star make their way down the sidewalk away from the café. The little boy was looking at the ground and appeared for all the world as though he were walking to his own execution. And, while a part of the man felt sorry for the child, there was a part that couldn't keep from picturing a younger version of Nicholas whenever he had been forced to do something that he didn't want to do.

The look was identical.

It served to bring memories of his brother to the forefront of Mana's mind and for a moment he was lost to the past. Of course he couldn't allow himself the luxury of remaining there for long since there were things that needed to be done. He had to secure the safety and future of the child that Nicholas had entrusted to his care. That came first, before everything else, and was a responsibility that he took seriously.

* * *

Together the trio of travelers made their way to the outskirts of town, where the circus had set up shop. Mana had no idea how long they had been there, or for that matter how much longer they were staying, which was why he felt it was in their best interests to acquire about a job as soon as possible. After all there was no way to know when the opportunity might present its self again and this particular show had all but been dumped into their laps.

As though by Divine Providence.

As they entered the circus grounds Allen fell back, keeping close to Mana as the they made their way toward the large tent that was situated in the center of the grounds. The child appeared almost timid as they moved along and Mana reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He was aware of the fact that Allen was always nervous around new people, as well as large groups of people, which only served to make him feel worse about the fact that they had to do this.

But it really was their only option.

"It's going to be alright Allen," Mana murmured in a reassuring voice, seeking to comfort the child before they reached the tent. "Just keep moving forward…"

Allen nodded but didn't say anything.

"The show isn't until tonight," a voice called out as the trio approached the entrance to the tent. "Is there something that I can help you folks with?"

"We were actually hoping that we might find work," Mana said as he came to a stop in front of a man who stepped out of the tent just as they walked up. The man was older than Mana by several years, his hair graying at the temples, and he was dressed in a flamboyant suit.

"What kind of work did you have in mind?" the man said.

"We were hoping that you might have need of a few clowns," Mana said, gesturing toward himself, the child who stood at his side, and the little dog who stood between them. "My son's little dog has a wealth of tricks and I'm sure that he and I could learn fast if you just give us a chance."

The man in red regarded them calmly for a moment, his eyes taking in the sling that held Allen's left arm in a stationary position. Noticing the look Mana said, "Allen had a bit of an accident a few days ago but it shouldn't take him long to heal and he can run through Star's set of tricks."

"I'll give you guys a shot," the man decided after a couple moments' thought, offering the trio a smile. Offering his hand to Mana he said, "My name's Thomas Lane and I run this circus."

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Lane," Mana said as he accepted the hand that the red coated man held outstretched to him and shook it. "I'm Mana Walker and this is my son Allen and his little dog Star."

"Welcome to our troupe," Mr. Lane said. "Tonight is our last performance in this town so your son will have time to heal and you'll all have time to rehearse before joining the show."

"I appreciate the fact that you're giving us a chance," Mana said, inclining his head. "We'll just return to the inn where we were staying and collect our things."

Mr. Lane nodded, reaching into his pocket and producing a key as though from nowhere. "The last caravan trailer in the row, a blue one, is empty. Feel free to call it home."

"Thank you," Mana said again.

Mr. Lane inclined his head before walking away, leaving the trio of travelers once more to their own devices. "Mission accomplished," Mana said, turning back to Allen and offering the child a smile. At that moment a pair of clowns walked past, causing the brown haired boy to shudder.

"I still hate clowns…"

To which Mana replied by throwing back his head and laughing out loud. This time he simply couldn't suppress it, the urge was just too strong.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I apologize for the lack of an update last week. I've been having issues for a little while though hopefully I've got them resolved now. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter.


	39. Life Goes On

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank all of those who submitted a review for the last chapter: Variations on Ink, dgm-mega fan, mysticwolf1896, 14th Noah, XxXxRoad KamelotXxXx, skidney, LyssiBug, fan girl 666, AnaCorona, Genis Reigal - Element Star, Joker Oak, LilyMoonstone, crazy DGM fan, Noah of Faith, Raine Haruto, key 46812, Lelouch, Peculiar Top hat, Kyrione, Gracie Girl, and truegenius13! Thank you all so very much.

Chapter Thirty-Nine - Life Goes On

Once Mana and Allen had retrieved their meager belongings from the inn where they had been staying they, along with Star, arranged things in the small camper caravan that had been provided for them by the circus owner. It was far from large but it was comfortable enough as far as that went and Mana thought that the three of them would be fine with the arrangement. It wasn't exactly ideal but the man could imagine things being far worse which made him refrain from making any derogatory comments about their new home.

Two cots occupied the small space, one on either side, while a small table took up the space in the middle. There was enough room to walk around without bumping into anything and Mana nodded in approval as he gazed around, having stowed his suitcase at the foot of one of the beds. "It's not luxurious but it'll do," he said jovially, offering Allen an encouraging smile.

"Yep," Allen said, having resigned himself to his fate and resolved that he was going to try and keep his complaints to a minimum. He still had absolutely no desire to become a clown, hated the thought even, but what he did want to do was please his father. For the man who had raised him the child would do absolutely anything… even become a clown. "C'mon Star, we should go outside and practice."

"Don't wander too far Allen," Mana cautioned as the child and his little dog left the caravan trailer. He didn't want to risk anything happening to the boy so he stepped to the door within a few minutes, wanting to keep an eye on Allen. The little brown haired boy still had his left arm in a sling, the wound in his shoulder causing him pain whenever he attempted to move the limb, but he held out a ball in his right hand. Instantly gaining the attention of his four legged friend. Star whined as he eyed the ball, sitting down and waiting for Allen to throw the ball.

But that isn't what the child chose to do.

Walking over to the little terrier Allen held the ball up for his inspection. "We're going to try a new trick," the child informed the dog, his tone surprisingly serious.

Star whined in response.

Mana opened his mouth to ask the child exactly what it was that he was planning but changed his mind before any words actually came out of his mouth. Leaning his back against the caravan the man opted to simply watch the two of them instead. Reaching out Allen placed the ball on the tip of Star's nose, which caused the little terrier to snap out of it. "Ah," Mana thought to himself as Allen bent to retrieve the ball. "I see what he's trying to do now."

"Star," Allen said, regaining his dog's attention once he had picked up the little rubber ball. He waited until Star was gazing up at him intently before he spoke again. "Freeze."

The little terrier immediately went rigid, familiar with this command. He didn't move so much as a muscle as Allen once again placed the ball on the tip of his nose. It took a couple of attempts but the intelligent little animal finally got the gist of what his young master expected of him and before long he was balancing the ball on the tip of his nose.

"Those two are definitely going to be the bread winners of this family," Mana thought to himself as he continued to watch the pair. Allen and Star shared a unique bond and it was this love that allowed the two of them to work together so effortlessly. "Though I suppose that I really should come up with an act of my own."

With this thought in mind Mana re-entered the caravan, pulling out his suitcase and removing a couple of brightly colored balls. These had also been brought along with Star in mind but Mana held them in one hand for a moment, thinking, before making his way back outside. Allen was now sitting in the grass, with Star at his side, and both gazed at him as he stepped back outside.

"What are you up to Father?" Allen asked, catching sight of the three brightly colored orbs that Mana was holding in one hand. There was an inquisitive expression in the child's gray eyes and it appeared as though Allen was back to normal.

More or less.

"You'll see," Mana said as he took a couple of steps away from the caravan. He wasn't sure how this was going to go and didn't want to have to crawl underneath the trailer if it didn't turn out as planned. "Hopefully I can still do this…"

Allen tilted his head to the side. "Still do what?"

As though in answer to the question Mana tossed the little balls into the air one at a time. And, much to his amazement, he found it surprisingly easy to find his rhythm. Effortlessly he juggled the three balls, looking as though he did it on a regular basis. "Looks like I haven't lost the touch," he said with a smile, gazing down at Allen and Star.

Star had jumped to his feet, his stump of a tail wagging furiously as he gazed up at the balls, and Allen looked shocked as he gazed on. "I didn't know that you could juggle Father."

"Honestly I wasn't sure if I would even be able to still do it," Mana said, his gaze focused on the child instead of the balls that he was still tossing back and forth. "I learned a long time ago…" His voice trailed off at this point as Mana recalled the reason why he had learned to juggle in the first place. It was back when he and Nicholas were both boys; their parents had taken the two of them to the circus and, upon their return, Nicholas had bet his brother that he could learn to juggle first.

And of course Mana had taken the bet since this was before he had learned never to wager against his brother over anything.

"Snap out of it," Allen said, snapping his fingers in Mana's face and effectively bringing the man's thoughts back to the present. In the instant before full awareness returned he vaguely thought that Allen was his father. He opened his mouth but bit his tongue before he called the child by his father's name.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, reaching up and running a hand through his dark hair. "Guess I was a little out of it there for a moment… but I'm better now."

Allen continued to gaze at him for a moment before shrugging. He winced at the movement but didn't give any other signs that his shoulder wound was painful. "You're weird," he observed.

"You don't know the half of it kiddo," Mana said with a chuckle. His gaze shifted around the circus grounds and for a moment he thought that he caught sight of a shadowy figure lurking near one of the tents. Blinking his eyes a couple of times the man gazed back, only to find the space empty. "Did I imagine that just now?" he thought to himself, rubbing at his eyes with the back of one hand. It wasn't like him to hallucinate but he could have sworn that he'd seen someone lurking over by the tent just a few seconds ago. So how had they managed to move so quickly?

"Did you see that Allen?" he questioned, wondering if perhaps the boy had caught sight of the same thing that he had. That would at least prove that he wasn't crazy.

Allen blinked a couple of times before shaking his head. His gaze shifted between the tent that Mana was staring at and the man himself, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. "I didn't see anything… Why, what was it?"

"I guess it was nothing," Mana said, not wanting to alarm the little boy over nothing, just his eyes playing tricks on him or something along those lines. The chances were high that he had just been imagining things, the stress of the last several days finally catching up to him or something along those lines. At any rate there wasn't anything there now so it wasn't worth worrying about.

But the boy was too perceptive to be easily fooled by the man's words. "You seem awful worried for it to be nothing," Allen stated in a matter of fact tone. He had caught the expression on his father's face before the man had succeeded in banishing it.

Mana smiled, thinking to himself that he should have known he wouldn't be able to hide anything from his child. "I thought I saw something over by that tent but it must have been a trick of the light because, as you can see, there's nothing there now."

Allen seemed satisfied with this answer, for which Mana was grateful because he didn't really want to have to come up with anything else to tell the boy. Deciding that it would be best for the two of them to call it a day early Mana beckoned to the child. "C'mon Allen ma'boy," he said, forcing his voice to be cheerful despite the slight trace of fear that he was currently feeling. "Let's go back inside… you shouldn't overdo it until your shoulder has had more time to heal."

Allen didn't look overly happy about Mana's suggestion but got to his feet without protest. Giving a short whistle he called out to his dog as he turned to enter the caravan. "Come on Star… the old man is tired so we're going back inside."

Star issued a couple of sharp yips as he dashed forward to follow his master.

"I'll make you think old man," Mana muttered as he entered the trailer behind the two of them, giving his surroundings one last, scrutinizing look before closing the door. The nagging thought that was in the back of his mind was the possibility that the thing he had seen… or else thought he had seen… was one of those Akuma things that he had encountered during his brief time spent traveling with General Cross.

He knew that those things would be searching for Allen, inexplicably drawn to him, because of the substance known as Innocence that was embedded in the back of his left hand. So there was the chance that Mana had actually seen something and that that something had been one of the Akuma.

Keeping this thought in mind Mana began chanting one of the protective spells that Cross had taught him. The red head may have been difficult to get along with, downright unbearable even, but he had been a good teacher none the less and Mana had taken every single one of his lessons to heart. Hopefully this spell would keep them safe if there were indeed any Akuma lurking out there.

He gazed at the door as he chanted under his breath, hoping that Allen wouldn't pay any attention to what he was doing. Luckily the boy was curled up on one of the cots with Star, seemingly oblivious to the goings on.

A definite plus.

* * *

"I think he's suspicious," a gravelly voice stated as the shadowy figure once more came to stand at the corner of the tents. Bright red eyes focused on the caravan trailer where the trio had retreated, a cold light seeming to shine in them. Calculating. "But it doesn't matter… soon he will be dead and the boy will be in my clutches…"

He would be greatly rewarded if he managed to snare the boy before any of the others that were feverishly searching for him. It was a race to the finish and the shadow man had ever intention of emerging as the winner.

Whatever it took.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, once again sorry that the update was late. For the time being, until things on the personal front are resolved, I'll probably be updating this story every two weeks instead of every week for the simple reason that I don't want to mess it up. And if I force myself to write when I'm not feeling it then that's what's going to happen. Hope that you all understand.


	40. Never the Same

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - Special thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter: usuilove21, fan girl 666, Joker Oak, Variation on Ink, LadyDrago88, xXxAria BreakerxXx, LyssiBug, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, dgm-mega fan, PeanutAngel, Crystal Sawada, NitenGale, key46812, The chuck, and allenwalkerlover! You guys are all awesome!

Chapter Forty - Never the Same

After the final performance the circus packed up their temporary camp and moved on to the next stop on their agenda. This was routine for the veteran members of the troupe of course but a novel concept for the newest members. None the less Mana and Allen chipped in to help wherever that they could, not wanting it to seem that they weren't working for their keep. This was important since it would be a little while before they were able to join the act and Mana wanted to make sure that they weren't beholden to anyone.

And little Allen helped out as well, despite the fact that his left arm was still in a sling. The wound was getting better, slowly but surely, and Mana was hopeful that his little boy would soon be back to normal. For his part Star merely followed along behind his young master, refusing to allow the boy out of his sight. The little terrier had been more protective as of late and couldn't be coaxed away from Allen very easily.

Even bribery didn't work.

Not that Mana really had a problem with the fact that the dog was so attached to Allen at the moment. In fact he was happy that the child had a constant companion since there were occasions when he was forced to leave Allen to his own devices. He strove to keep these occurrences to a bare minimum but sometimes it was simply an inevitability. And he felt better about it because he knew that Star would be there with the child no matter what.

* * *

After a couple of days of traveling through lush countryside and dense forest the circus troupe arrived at their next stop, each member immediately moving to unpack and set up their camp once more. Everyone that is except for Allen. The trip had been long and Mana could tell that the boy was exhausted so he decided that it would be best for Allen to take it easy for awhile. Of course he knew that this wouldn't go over well with the boy so he had to think of a way to word it so that Allen wouldn't get upset.

Not that this was anything new.

"You go and rest Allen my boy," the man said as he set about helping the others. It was an order but it was veiled to appear as though it were merely a suggestion. This was the way that Mana almost always spoke to the boy when he wanted him to do something since it decreased the likelihood that Allen would give him a hard time about it. "I'll take care of this and then we'll get something to eat."

"But Father," the child whined, gazing up at Mana through slightly narrowed gray eyes. It was obvious that he didn't like the cleverly veiled order that he had just been given and was doing absolutely nothing to hide this fact. "I should help too."

"We've got it covered Allen," Mana said, a slightly firm note in his voice. Under normal circumstances he would probably have given in to the child but he could tell that Allen was tired and didn't want the boy to over exert himself. That would only result in him getting sick and that wasn't a risk that Mana was willing to take. "Why don't you go and work on some tricks with Star?"

Allen's eyes lit up as he was given something to do and he nodded before turning to the little terrier that was sitting at his side. "C'mon Star, we have work to do."

Mana smiled as he watched the child walk off, glad that this trick had worked. Allen likely wouldn't strain himself playing with Star but at the same time he would feel as though he were accomplishing something. "Don't wander too far…" he called out before moving to help some of the other men with the heavy poles that supported the main tent.

As Mana worked the ringmaster walked up to him, tilting his head to the side. "Where's the little boy?" he questioned, his tone carefully casual as he inquired about the whereabouts of the brown haired child. However there was the barest trace of a glint in his eyes as he posed this question to his newest troupe member.

Focused on his work Mana didn't notice the look on the man's face, not looking up as he replied, "I sent him to work on some tricks with his little dog."

"I see," the man said casually, gazing on for a moment longer before wandering off. If the boy was on his own then this was his opportunity and he didn't want to take a chance on missing it. After all it was so rare for the man to leave the brat alone for any length of time.

* * *

Having wandered far enough away to not be in anyone's way, or at least hoping that this was the case, Allen was standing at the edge of the clearing with Star, a look of concentration on his face. As always it looked out of place on such a young child but this time there wasn't anyone around to point out this fact... or to laugh at him for that matter. After a moment of mentally going through Star's list of tricks the boy decided which one to work on first. Gazing at the little terrier he said, "C'mon Star, let's dance."

Instantly the little dog jumped up, standing on his back legs. A smile spread across Allen's face as he spun around in a circle and watched as Star mimicked his motions. He chuckled slightly to himself as he recalled how this little trick had gotten started. Mana had been dancing around like an idiot, trying to cheer Allen up after he'd gotten upset about something, and Star had suddenly joined in. The sight had effectively caused Allen to forget about being sad as well as adding a new trick to Star's already extensive repertoire.

"Hey kid…"

Allen turned at the sound of the person calling out to him, a questioning expression in his gray eyes. He tensed at first, out of habit, but relaxed once he saw that it was only Mr. Lane, the ringmaster of the circus. This was the man in charge and Allen knew that he had to be carefully polite or else he and Mana might have to leave. With this thought in mind the child offered the man a smile. "Do you need something?" he questioned.

Standing at Allen's side Star bared his fangs at the man, growling low in his throat as the hair rose on his back.

"Star," Allen said as he knelt at the little dog's side, placing a hand on his back in an effort to calm him. "It's alright… you know Mr. Lane so why are you acting like this?"

Star continued to growl, Allen's words having absolutely no effect on him. Normally the child would have been able to console the dog but of course under normal circumstances Star was overly friendly. So what was it about this man that had him suddenly on edge?

"I'm really sorry," Allen apologized, looking up at the man once again. "I don't know why he's acting like this…"

Mr. Lane waved off the boy's apology, a smile on his face. The strange gleam was present in his eyes but Allen didn't notice it as he stared at the man. If he had then it was highly probable that he would have made a run for it but as it was he merely stood there, waiting for the man to tell him exactly what it was that he needed.

"Don't worry about it," Mr. Lane said, his gaze shifting to the dog for the briefest of moments before returning to the boy. He had to make his move, before the kid's guardian came looking for him. "I've got something to show you… will you come with me?"

Allen looked indecisive for a moment; Mana had told him not to wander off too far but on the other hand this was the man in charge so surely it was alright to listen to him. The child pondered this for a moment before finally nodding, taking a step toward the smiling man. Still growling Star seized Allen by the cuff of his pant leg, pulling back with all his might.

"Star," Allen reprimanded, gazing down at the dog that was currently gripping the leg of his pants between his teeth. "Let go…" Reaching down Allen pried the dog's teeth loose before following along behind the man, not even noticing that his constant companion hadn't fallen into step behind him. Whimpering low in his throat Star dashed off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Taking a breather from all the manual labor Mana leaned against a large pole, wiping at the sweat that had beaded on his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. He was still trying to grown accustomed to manual labor, not really having any experience with it. The work was hard but, despite the effort, strangely rewarding in it's own right. A smile spread across the man's face as he watched the other members of the troupe pitching in and helping one another with the preparations. Shouts echoed as various members of the group joked around with one another while they worked.

They were like a family.

This thought was abruptly brought to an end as Star ran up to the man, yapping frantically. Gazing around Mana searched for any signs of Allen, instantly concerned that Star had appeared without the child. Ever since Allen's attack the terrier had been practically glued to the boy so the fact that he had shown up alone immediately set Mana's senses on high alert. Seeing no sign of the boy the man began walking toward the spot where he had seen Allen and Star practicing a little while earlier.

"What happened Star?" Mana questioned as he walked. "Where is he?"

Yipping Star took the lead, gazing back over his shoulder ever so often to make sure that Mana was still following along behind him. Picking up his pace Mana broke into a run, by now frantic that something had happened to his child. "Allen!" he called out as he trailed the dog across the grounds and toward a wooded area.

There was no answer from the child.

This fact only served to increase Mana's panic and caused him to increase the speed of his steps. He was desperate to find Allen and make sure that the little boy was okay because it wasn't like him not to answer when Mana called. The fact that he didn't meant that he either hadn't heard or that there was something preventing him from calling back. The latter looking more likely owing to the frantic way that Star had came to get him.

"Please be okay..." Mana silently begged as he followed along behind the little terrier.

* * *

"I see you brought the boy," the shadowy figure called out from the grove of trees where he was lurking, watching through cruel eyes as the man and the boy made their way toward the spot where he was lying in wait. This was what he had been hoping for… the child brought to him without him having to even lift a finger. Killing the people would have been a wonderful way for him to level up but taking the brat back to Lord Millennium took precedence over that.

The reward for this would be greater than anything he could imagine, he just knew it.

"I did," Mr. Lane said, the glint in his eyes growing more noticeable as he approached the spot from which the voice had issued. "Did you bring the money?"

"Indeed," the man said, stepping out of the shadows. In his current form he appeared to be a middle aged man, with close cut hair that was graying slightly. He was dressed casually and didn't look all that imposing… of course this could change in a matter of seconds if he wished. His eyes seemed to flash as his gaze shifted to the boy, who had came to a stop the moment that the two had began conversing. Allen's gray eyes were wide as his gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them, his heart rate quickening as adrenaline began pumping through his veins.

He sensed danger and his mind was racing along with his heart as he struggled to think of a way to get away from these two men.

"You tricked me," he said to Mr. Lane, his eyes looking betrayed as his gaze lingered on the ringmaster. He'd thought that this man was good, a friend of Mana's, but it wasn't appearing as though this was the case.

"It's nothing personal kid," Mr. Lane said, not even the trace of remorse in his voice as he gazed down at the small boy. He saw the indecision playing across the child's face, knew that he was trying to come up with a plan of action, and quickly seized Allen by the arm before he had the chance to run. "Just business."

Laughing the other man made a move toward the boy, his eyes gleaming as he reached out a hand toward Allen.

At that moment a blurry flash of white leapt forward, seizing the man by the wrist before he could grab Allen. Snarling in his throat Star held onto the man, the little dog hanging off the ground as the Akuma tried frantically to shake him off. At almost the same instant a feral voice called out, "Get the hell away from my son!"

Finally managing to shake himself free of the dog the Akuma glared at the new arrival as Mr. Lane took a couple of hasty steps back as his gaze fell upon Mana. The man's normally kind brown eyes were flashing malevolently as he walked forward, a look of absolute rage on his face. Hearing the voice and recognizing it despite the harsh tone Allen's gaze shifted to Mana, who seemed to be muttering something under his breath, and the child immediately went limp. Sinking to the ground the child was temporarily forgotten as the three men stared at one another.

Each seeming to dare the other to make the first move.

The man who had came for the boy decided to take this opportunity to assume his true form but even as he shifted Mana began chanting something under his breath. There was a blinding flash of light, which served to disorient the two men and allowed Mana enough time to gather Allen up into his arms. Confident that the barrier spell he had applied would shield the three of them from the Akuma as well as the man Mana whistled for Star and began walking away.

It was in moment that the man realized that no matter what they did or where they went their lives would never be the same.

"I'm sorry Allen," he muttered to the child, grateful that Cross had also taught him a spell to render the boy unconscious. He was determined to shield Allen from the harshness of their reality for as long as possible and this was a very useful trick.

* * *

"They escaped," the Akuma snarled, completely confused over the fact that the man and the boy seemed to have vanished into thin air. Eyes flashing angrily he turned to Mr. Lane, who was still standing in the same spot that he had occupied upon Mana's arrival. He seemed to stunned to move. "You…" he snarled, stepping forward and grasping the man around the throat. "I already sent for Lord Millennium and you let the boy escape… You're going to answer for this."

This said the Akuma pulled the man along with him, determined that he wouldn't face the Earl's wrath alone. This man had promised him the boy and he in turn had promised the brat to Lord Millennium.

There would be hell to pay now that they were going back empty handed.

"Look~" Road chimed as the pair arrived at the manor of the Millennium Earl. The small Noah girl was seated at a table, an open book in front of her that she was pointedly ignoring. "They came back… without the boy."

The Earl's gaze shifted to the two, his customary smile never faltering. Even so the Akuma shrank back as the large man got to his feet, walking toward them in a calm manner. Both tried to make an escape at this point, tripping over one another in their haste to distance themselves from the fat man. Of course they didn't make it. Echoing screams filled the air, accompanied by the hysterical laugher of a small girl.

A/N - 'feels really guilty' Sorry about the delay in updating. I know that I said I would update every two weeks but losing two important people in a month caused me to not want to do anything… including write. Hope that you guys can find it in your hearts to forgive me and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter.


	41. Hints of the Future

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank those who left reviews for the last chapter: PeanutAngel, Variation on Ink, 14th Noah, mysticwolf1896, usuilove21, god of all, Narutopokefan, LyssiBug, Noah of Faith, narikokurayami, Kyrione, fan girl 666, The Puppeteer Master, Mistical Kat, As Darkness Takes Over, key46812, Joker Oak, XienRue, and Hollow Mashiro! Your reviews were all greatly appreciated, thank you all so much.

Chapter Forty-One - Hints of the Future

After the betrayal by a man in whom he had placed his trust Mana was reluctant to join together with another circus troupe but the fact remained that he had to find some way to support himself and his son so there really wasn't any other choice in the matter. Carrying the still unconscious Allen in his arms Mana made his way through the forest, hoping that it would lead him to a town where he could hopefully find temporary work until he could locate another traveling show. Because he was fairly certain that there wouldn't be more than one in such a localized area since the competition for an audience would be so great.

"_This isn't working out at all the way that I planned,"_ Mana thought to himself as he walked, Star trailing along at his heels. Every so often the little terrier would whine at which point Mana would shift his gaze downward, offering Star a reassuring smile. _"We just have to keep moving forward… no matter how hard that may be."_

After awhile the trees of the forest gave way to reveal a small town, a welcome sight to the young man. Offering thanks to the powers that be Mana quickened his pace somewhat. He was tired, the use of magic always draining him of his energy, and anxious to find a safe place to rest. He wasn't sure whether or not they were safe but was hopeful that nothing else would happen, at least not until he'd had an opportunity to recover. Mana was also hopeful that Allen wouldn't be too traumatized by what he'd experienced.

The danger not withstanding it would be a real shame for Allen to lose the innocent, trusting nature that he'd developed.

After a brief search of the town Mana located a small inn. The woman who owned and operated the business, more or less just renting a couple of spare rooms in her home, was kind enough to allow the little dog to stay as well. A fact for which Mana was grateful since the dog was as much a part of their family as either himself or Allen. Following the directions that the woman had given him the dark haired man made his way up to their room, placing Allen on the bed before sitting down in a chair that was positioned next to a window.

Leaning forward Mana ran a hand through his hair, his mind relentlessly replaying the scene that he had encountered in the forest. That man had fully intended to sell Allen to the Akuma… he had actually been willing to sacrifice the life of an innocent child for his own gain. A low growl escaped the man's lips as he thought back on this and for a brief moment he found himself wishing that he'd actually done something to the man.

It would have served him right.

A mental image of the man soaked in blood invaded his mind at this point, causing Mana to shudder. He'd never had such dark thoughts before and had to admit that they frightened him to a degree. Gasping his eyes widened as he gripped his head with both hands, trying desperately to rid himself of this disturbing train of thought.

At that moment the sound of humming reached his ears, causing Mana's gaze to shift over to the child who was lying in the bed across the room. Allen was still unconscious but there was no denying the fact that the haunting little melody was coming from the little boy. This tune had grown familiar over the years and Mana found himself oddly soothed by it, the bloody images disappearing as he placed his head upon his arms on the window sill and slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

And, as his eyes slowly closed, the man could have sworn he saw an image of his younger brother standing in the center of the room, gazing at them with a sorrowful expression on his face. It was almost as though he knew something that neither Mana nor Allen did and his gray eyes, as exact match for those of his son, reflected this fact. But this image seemed to fade as Mana succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

"Wakey… wakey…"

Mana's peaceful sleep was disturbed a little while later by a small finger poking him in the ribcage. Groaning in mild annoyance the man attempted to move away from the gentle prodding, without fully waking up. This resulted in him falling from the chair and landing in a heap on the floor, a surprised expression appearing on his face as he hit the ground with an audible 'thud'.

"Umph," he groaned, rubbing at his backside as he blinked a couple of times.

Uncontrollable laughter greeted Mana's surprised awakening, the small boy who had been standing by his chair soon joining him on the ground. Little Allen rolled around on the ground, both hands gripping his stomach as he laughed. "The look on your face… it was so funny Father…"

"It can't have been that funny Allen," Mana said, getting to his feet and dusting off his clothes. There was a disapproving scowl on his face but this couldn't completely disguise the slight twinkle in his eyes. It probably really was that funny, he just didn't want to admit it. Especially not to the child who was still rolling around on the floor.

"Yes it was," Allen maintained, finally managing to bring his bout of laughter under control. Sitting up slightly he blinked, gazing up at Mana with a confused expression in his gray eyes. "What's going on anyway Father? Where are we?"

"A new town," Mana explained, offering Allen a smile as he leaned down and scooped the boy up into his arms. "After what happened I decided that we should move on to a different circus…"

This statement from the man only served to further the small boy's confusion. "What d'you mean Father?" He blinked a couple of times as he stared at his guardian. It was obvious by his expression that he honestly had no idea what the man was even talking about. "What happened?"

All Mana could do was stare in surprise as he heard these words from his son. True he had used the spell on him but Cross hadn't mentioned anything about this causing memory loss. Had he caused his child damage by using the magic on him? "You don't remember any of it?"

"Any of what?" Allen countered, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Mana changed his expression almost instantly. "It was nothing too terrible… just a bit of a falling out between myself and the ringmaster. Not something that you should be worried about Allen."

"But if we left the circus then how are we going to afford food?" It was only natural that this be one of Allen's top concerns, considering the fact that the child had a voracious appetite.

This question actually served to bring a smile back to Mana's face and, for the moment, he found himself able to forget the hardships that he knew they would have to endure. Balancing Allen with one arm, Mana used his free hand to gently tousle the boy's hair, laughing as he did so. "Don't worry Allen… I promise we won't starve to death. We'll just have to perform on our own a little while looking for another group to join up with. How's that sound to you? You game?"

"I guess," Allen said, nodding his head. The child's expression changed at this point and he gazed at Mana for a moment, as though debating something.

Picking up on the change in expression Mana gazed at the boy, a questioning expression evident in his dark eyes. "What is it Allen? Is something the matter?"

Gazing down at his left hand, which was covered by the customary small white gloves that he always wore, Allen mumbled, "My hand… kinda hurts Father."

Instantly concerned Mana carried the child back across the room, sitting him down on the edge of the bed before kneeling in front of him. Gently taking the boy's left hand in his own the man carefully removed the small glove, gazing down at the blood red appendage. It didn't appear any different than usual except… Mana blinked a couple of times as he could have sworn he saw the small green object that was embedded in the back glow ever so slightly. But, in the few tenths of a second that it took him to close and then reopen his eyes, it seemed to have gone back to normal. This sight caused Mana's concern to grow but he didn't want to upset Allen so he kept this to himself. Offering the child what was meant to be a reassuring smile Mana said, "I'm sorry that you're hurting Allen… I still have some of the medicine that the doctor gave me. Would you like me to give you some of that?"

"No!" Allen said, quickly shaking his head. He remembered vividly how that stuff made him feel and wasn't too keen on the idea of reliving it. The pain wasn't exactly pleasant but it wasn't enough to make him welcome medication and especially not that stuff. "I don' like the way that stuff makes me feel… and it's not that bad." Raising his hand Allen moved his fingers in an effort to emphasize this fact. Mana noted that they seemed a bit stiffer and harder to move than normal but he didn't press the issue since Allen seemed so intent on hiding it. "Alright son…" he said, smiling as he once again patted the brown haired child on the head. "Just… tell me if it starts to hurt worse alright?"

Allen nodded.

Mana's smile widened as he winked at the boy. "Well now that we've got that little matter taken care of what do you say to the two of us getting something to eat?"

"Great idea!" Allen exclaimed, a broad smile spreading across his face as all thoughts of pain vanished.

"I thought that you'd like that," Mana said, chuckling softly as he got to his feet. His knees popped in protest but he ignored this aside from once again bemoaning the fact that he felt so old despite his relatively young age. It simply wasn't fair but there wasn't really anything that could be done about it and thus there was no use dwelling on it. Once he was on his feet he held his hand out to Allen. "Come on then and we'll see if we can't find something tasty."

Leaping to his feet Allen grasped the hand that his father was holding out to him, wrapping his small fingers around it and smiling. As the two of them turned to leave the room the youth once again began to hum, his eyes taking on a slightly far off expression that Mana couldn't identify.

Things were definitely not normal with his child but for now Mana was choosing not to dwell on this fact either. He would just take each day at a time and enjoy life's small pleasures.

For now that was enough.

A/N - Yet another majorly late update. I apologize again but I'm not going to offer any excuses. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review and share your thoughts.


	42. Almost Normal

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

A/N - I would once again like to thank the people who submitted reviews for the last chapter: LyssiBug, Peculiar Top hat, skidney, Kyrione, Mistical Kat, 14th Noah, Arceus the Creator, XienRue, fan girl 666, Aki no hikari, AcPa xox, PeanutAngel, mysticwolf1896, and hitsugayataichoda. Your reviews were all great and brought a smile to my face during a difficult time. Merry Christmas and hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 42- Almost Normal

After the attempted bartering of Allen by the leader of the circus that they had just joined, Mana had taken his child and moved on to a different carnival. He couldn't stand the thoughts of anything happening to his child but this betrayal had taught him one thing; the fact that no one could be completely trusted. It seemed to have taken so little to sway that man's heart into turning over an innocent child simply for his own personal game and the thought that this could happen again, the thought that he might actually lose Allen, made Mana sick at heart. He had sworn to Nicholas that he would protect the child with everything that he had and raise Allen as his own and that wasn't a promise that he intended to go back on.

Some things in life were sacred and a promise made to the beloved little brother that he had lost was one of those things to Mana.

Thankfully the move to this new circus troupe had turned out better than their first attempt and Mana and Allen, along with the little dog, fell into circus life fairly easily. Mana learned to be a clown quicker than he would have thought and Allen and Star, despite the fact that the little boy still hated the thoughts of actually calling himself a clown, excelled at it.

* * *

"Hey Father!" a sharp voice cut through the air as Mana gazed up to watch Allen running toward him, with Star tagging along at his heels. His wounds had healed by this point and there was a smile on the child's face, the seven year old seemingly completely back to normal. Or at least as normal as it was possible for him to ever be. Mana offered the child a smile even as he felt the familiar brief stab of guilt at hearing the child, Nicholas' son, call him father. "Where have you been Allen?" He eyed the child a bit speculatively. "Not causing trouble I hope."

A look of absolute innocence fell upon the boy's face as he gazed up at Mana through large gray eyes. "I wouldn't do something like that Father," he said in a voice that would have been absolutely convincing if not for the fact that Mana knew him all too well.

"For some reason I don't entirely believe that," Mana said with a chuckle, reaching out and gently tousling the boy's already unruly hair.

Which caused a scowl to replace the innocent smile that Allen had been wearing. "Why you always gotta do that, stupid clown?" Allen questioned, reaching up and fighting with his hair in an attempt to get it to lay back down. He had taken to calling his father, stupid clown, not long after they had joined this second circus troupe and did so whenever he was irked with the man.

"Allen," Mana said, his tone gentle but also containing a slight note of sternness. "That wasn't a very nice thing to say, now was it?"

Allen thought about the question for a moment before shaking his head. "No."

"Well then, are you sorry that you did it?" Mana questioned, thinking that perhaps his guilt trip had worked the way he planned for once.

This time there was no moment of thought. Allen shook his head and replied without missing a beat, "No."

Mana's thoughts briefly flashed to an almost identical scene from Allen's early childhood and he couldn't help but chuckle slightly even as he shook his head in disbelief. "Still painfully honest I see."

"You told me that I'm always s'posed to tell the truth," Allen reminded his guardian with a pointed look in his gray eyes. It was those eyes that made him most resemble his father and often when Mana looked into them he could imagine that he was speaking with his brother once again.

"I did tell you that," Mana acknowledged, decided that it was most likely time to change the subject. "So where have you been anyway Allen?"

"Just practicing with Star," the child replied, his gaze darting down to the small dog who was now sitting at his side. Allen still hadn't adjusted very well to the idea of being a clown but the little boy would do absolutely anything for his father so he resigned himself to doing what had to be done. After all since they had left their comfortable home in order to embrace this transient lifestyle they had to make enough money to keep themselves fed somehow.

Mana offered the boy a gentle smile as he heard this before playfully stating, "You already make me look bad… what more do you want?" Taking the index fingers on both hands Mana traced a path down each of his cheeks as though he were crying. "You enjoy making me look bad don't you Allen?"

"Don't do that," Allen said before turning and walking away. Unlike the child Mana had embraced his role as a clown and often acted as such even when he wasn't in costume or performing. A fact which irritated Allen to no end. "Stupid clown," the child could be heard muttering as he made his way through the people who were milling about the circus grounds.

The smile that Mana had worn on his face fell as he watched Allen walk away, with Star tagging along at his side. The brown haired boy dodged around the other performers as though afraid to allow them to get to close to him. Allen had grown wary of people, a fact that Mana had noticed but not something that he could explain. As far as he could tell Allen didn't remember either the attack that had almost ended his life or the ringmaster trying to sell him to the Akuma so why exactly was Allen being so cautious all of a sudden?

Could it maybe be some sixth sense that was telling the child that he was in danger?

Mana couldn't answer this question with any measure of certainty but the one thing he did know was that it hurt him to see his once outgoing child acting so standoffish.

"I just have to keep telling myself that it could be worse," Mana reminded himself as he moved toward the small caravan trailer that he and Allen were calling home for the moment. There was a performance in only a few short hours and the clown decided to change into his costume and get in a bit of practice before the actual show. He didn't make any attempt to call Allen back for this practice, knowing that the boy would perform brilliantly as always even without the extra work.

Allen and Star had already became the favored performers, at least as far as the crowd was concerned.

* * *

After his brief practice, during which Mana pretty much reached the conclusion that he just wasn't going to get any better, the clown made his way across the circus grounds in search of Allen and Star. He found the pair on the outskirts of camp and for a moment he simply stood there and watched them, a distant look appearing in his eyes.

With a yip Star rolled forward toward Allen while the boy flipped over the dog, this not being part of their act but just something that they did for fun. Landing on the ground the brown haired child caught sight of his father and, his earlier annoyance forgotten, he offered him a smile.

"Hiya," he called out as he walked toward the man.

"Nicky…" Mana breathed, staring at the child walking toward him as though he were seeing through him.

Allen paused for a moment, blinking a couple of times as a look of confusion appeared within his gray eyes. Was there something wrong with his father? Who was this Nicky person and why was his father calling out to him? Taking a couple of hesitant steps forward Allen grasped Mana by the sleeve, tugging at the fabric of his oversized clown costume. "Father… you okay?"

It took a moment for the softly spoken words of the child to reach his clouded brain and once they did Mana blinked slowly as though coming out of a trance. Gazing down into large gray eyes, filled with concern, his thoughts once again briefly shifted to his brother before he shook off this feeling. "Yea Allen, I'm alright."

Allen didn't look entirely convinced but he offered his father a shaky smile none the less.

Noting the fact that Allen didn't look wholly convinced of the truth of his words Mana leaned forward and scooped the child up into his arms. "No need for you to fret m'boy… I'm perfectly fine."

"If you say so," Allen said, struggling in Mana's grasp. Along with the wariness that he had developed the child had also grown embarrassed by public displays of affection and his face flushed slightly in embarrassment.

Chuckling low in his throat Mana placed the child back down on his own two feet. "C'mon Allen… we have a performance to do."

"Right," Allen said with a nod, giving a sharp whistle to Star. The little terrier yipped before falling into step behind his young master.

Yes, things had returned to as close to normal as they could get for this family chosen by fate but how long that would last remained to be seen. The hands of fate had been set into motion years ago by a single act and fate could not and would not be denied forever.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. I would once again like to thank those who are reading and enjoying this stories, you all make my work worthwhile. The story is going to be winding down but there are still a couple of important events still to unfold. Please be kind and leave a review on your way out.


	43. Save Me From the Dark

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM nor any of the characters.

A/N - Special thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Allen's Lover, Noah of Faith, Random Reviewer, PeanutAngel, Mistical Kat, Joker Oak, 14th Noah, Areceus the Creator, fan girl 666, Narutopokefan, LyssiBug, hitsugayataichoda, Peculiar Top hat, and anime-lyric! Your reviews all brought a smile to my face and I sincerely hope that you all continue to enjoy the story and follow it to it's sequel.

Chapter Forty-Three - Save Me From the Dark

Nearly four years had passed since Mana and his foster son Allen, along with the boy's little terrier Star, began their lives as traveling performers. In the beginning this transition had taken a tremendous amount of adjusting but now it almost seemed as though the trio had been destined for this lifestyle from the very beginning. For reasons that were known only to him, Mana kept them moving from circus to circus, but Allen didn't really mind their nomadic lifestyle. It was kind of fun to travel all around, seeing different things that most kids his age would never get to experience. He and Star quickly became the stars of every circus that they joined, their act always eliciting roars of approval from the crowds.

And yet, secretly, Allen still absolutely despised being a clown. His fondness for them hadn't grown at all in the time that he had spent in the company of the circus performers. He could interact with the clowns, even counted a couple of them as friends, but he still didn't like them when they were all in costume and acting stupid. There was just something about them that he inherently didn't like. He even called his father a stupid clown quite frequently, even if it was only in a teasing manner.

Sometimes it was just way to much fun to tease the man.

* * *

"Allen have you seen my juggling balls?" a questioning voice called out from inside the tent that Allen and Mana were sharing while at this particular circus. It was unremarkable and much the same as the places they had lived before. For the most part only the setting changed with this particular lifestyle. With a slight sigh the brown haired boy stopped his practicing with Star to stick his head inside the tent. "No… can't you remember what you did with them after last night's show?"

"No," Mana said, rummaging around in a trunk that held the various props that he used for his act. Several of them were now scattered across the room, making it look as though a moderate wind had blown through and disturbed things. It was out of place because Mana was normally neat to a fault. "If I could find them then I wouldn't have asked you if you'd seen them."

"Stupid clown," Allen muttered as he moved to help his foster father search for the brightly colored rubber balls that he used in his juggling act. Not that the child knew that Mana wasn't his father. He had completely forgotten about his real father during the years that he and Mana had been together. Of course not even this stopped the eleven year old from using the insult that he had just tossed at the clown. "And you're always telling me to keep track of my stuff…"

"Hey!" Mana said, a mixture of amusement and reproach evident in his tone as he turned and pointed his index finger at the eleven year old. He narrowed one eye as he gave the child a pointed look. "There's no need for that attitude Allen Walker."

Allen stared at him for a moment before conceding to the fact that he had a valid point. Shifting his gray eyed gaze to the floor the boy murmured, "You're right, I'm sorry."

"I've no idea why you delight in tormenting an old man anyway," Mana continued, with just the barest of nods to let the child know that he had both heard and accepted the apology. His tone was light and teasing once more as he resumed his search for his props. "Can't believe I managed to lose them."

"Y'know Father," Allen said, sitting back on his knees and looking about the tent thoughtfully. "You don't think maybe you left them out somewhere that Star could have gotten to, do you?" This thought occurred to the child because his little terrier enjoyed playing ball and there wasn't really any difference between the balls that belonged to the dog and those that Mana used in his act. So it was highly possible, even probable, that the little dog had taken them when no one was looking.

"I hadn't really thought about that," Mana said, momentarily pausing in his search to once again turn his gaze in the direction of his son. "But you've got a point, m'boy."

"I'll see if I can find th-" Allen halted mid-sentence as he heard the sound of his little dog barking, noticing the fact that the sound seemed to be getting further away. Jumping to his feet the brown haired child dashed out of the tent and toward the barking, wondering what exactly was going on. He hadn't thought anything about leaving Star to his own devices, since the little dog always stayed close by, but now he was regretting this somewhat. "Star!" the child called out.

"Allen!" Mana exclaimed, getting to his feet a little more slowly as the boy ran off. He didn't like for Allen to be too far away from him, given the boy's past and the creatures that were searching for him so he quickly followed after his child. Of course he wasn't anywhere close to the boy as far as speed was concerned so he soon lost track of Allen.

"This isn't good," Mana muttered to himself as he came to a halt, gazing around for any signs of either Allen or his little dog.

* * *

"Star!" Allen called out as he made his way across the circus grounds, turning his head this way and that in search of his little dog. The sound of the little dog's barking had all but disappeared so now the brown haired boy was just traveling in the general direction that it had been coming from before. He hoped that this would result in him finding his companion but at the moment he wasn't really sure anymore. "C'mon Star, where'd you go?"

This question was answered as Allen heard a high-pitched whining noise, coming from what sounded like only a short distance away. Taking off in that direction it wasn't long before the boy saw exactly what had prompted such a noise and his eyes narrowed in anger. One of the other clowns who worked for the circus, a man who went by the name of Cosimo, was standing near Star's crumpled form with his leg lifted as though to kick the dog.

"What the hell are you doing?" Allen demanded as he ran forward, intent upon rescuing his dog before the man had the opportunity to do anything else to him.

"Go 'way brat," the man snarled, sounding as though he were intoxicated. His rather dull eyes shifted from the dog and came to rest on the boy, dislike evident within the dull brown orbs. "Run back to yer momma before som'thin' bad happens t'ya." This said the man gave the little dog yet another vicious kick, eliciting another yelp of pain as Star rolled across the ground.

Allen was enraged and his gray eyes flashed golden as he glared at the man. "You… bastard…" the boy growled in a voice that sounded as though it should belong to someone other than a small boy. The tone was menacing but also held a strange musical quality to it, the tone rising and falling in a lilting manner.

Cosimo was stunned, to say the very least. Subconsciously taking a couple of steps back he glared at the boy. "What the fuck's wrong wit'ya brat?" he demanded, the cruel glint in Allen's eyes serving to give him pause. This wasn't normal… there was absolutely no way in the world that this could be normal. People's eyes just didn't change color like that. He had to be hallucinating; maybe this was a side effect of the alcohol or something. Yea that was it, it had to be. This thought served to renew some of Cosimo's courage and he stepped toward the boy, his eyes narrowed in anger. "How dare y'speak t'me like that y'little abomination…" he growled, his speech slurring slightly because of the alcohol. "I'll show you…"

Allen merely stood calmly and allowed the much larger male to approach him, his eyes calm and almost calculating. Then, the instant that Cosimo reached a hand out to grab him by the shirt, his own hand shot out and grasped the man by the wrist. The move was lightening quick and left the drunken clown with absolutely no time to react. All he could do was let out a howl of pain as the child bent his wrist back with almost inhuman strength.

There was a glint in his strange golden eyes that hinted at the fact that he was actually enjoying himself. Hearing the howls and whimpers of pain coming from the man brought the ghost of a grin to his face, making the child look somewhat demonic.

And only serving to increase Cosimo's desperate attempts to pull his wrist free from the little demon's grasp.

* * *

Hearing a howl of pain Mana got the strangest feeling that he should head in the direction from which it had originated. He knew that it wasn't his child who was crying out in pain, the voice belonging to an adult man, but there was some inexplicable force that seemed to be pulling him in that direction. Deciding to follow his instincts, since they had served him well in the past, Mana quickly made his way toward the sound. Rounding a corner around one of the large tents Mana froze as he saw Allen holding the wrist of a very large man, whose face was contorted with pain. Rushing forward he grasped the little boy around the waist and lifted him. And yet despite this the brown haired child refused to relinquish his grip on the man's wrist.

Cosimo howled again as Allen tightened his grip so that he wouldn't lose it.

"Allen!" Mana exclaimed, gazing down at the boy and gasping as he noted that the child's normally stormy gray eyes had turned a malevolent gold. What in the world was going on?

"Get th'little monster offa me!" Cosimo screeched, his face still contorted with pain.

"Allen, what's gotten into you?" Mana asked, his tone quiet and yet containing a slight note of sternness. He had no idea what had caused the boy to act in such a manner but, more importantly, he had no idea how Allen had gotten so strong. It didn't make any sense.

At least not until he thought back to everything that Cross had told him. About his brother and about the powers that he had possessed. His eyes widened slightly as he realized that this must be somehow connected to all of that.

"ALLEN!"

Allen's eyes widened as he heard Mana calling out to him and, after a couple of seconds, they shifted back to gray as he released his grip on Cosimo. The man quickly put some distance between himself and the little freak of nature, cradling his injured wrist against his body. "Father…" the boy murmured, sounding exhausted. "Is… is Star okay?"

It took a moment of searching but Mana finally located the little dog. He was lying on the ground and whimpering and the man quickly walked over and knelt down beside him. Supporting Allen with one arm, the clown used his free hand to gently search the little dog's body for any signs of broken bones. Thankfully he found none and he offered Allen a reassuring smile. "I think he'll be alright Allen… he's just a little sore."

Having somewhat recovered from what had just happened, and feeling a little safer now that Mana was on the scene, Cosimo strode over to them. He felt braver looking down at them and he scowled. "You'd best do som'thin' wit that little monster o'yours," he snarled.

Casting his gaze upward Mana offered the drunken man a look that was almost equal to the death glare that Allen had been giving him earlier. "Since I know you're responsible for what happened to Star you're in no position to be making threats. Now get out of here before I make you pay for what happened." His tone was darker than his normal, light-hearted voice, and Cosimo took notice. Pausing for just a moment he quickly turned tail and ran away.

"Come on m'boy," Mana said as he scooped Star up into his arms and then turned to look at Allen. He saw the ghost of his brother reflected in the child's eyes and had to shake his head quickly to banish this vision. "We should head back."

So much had happened and Mana was at a loss as to how to deal with this new development. He didn't want to think it but was forced to concede that something serious might have happened had he not arrived when he did. This only served to further complicate an already complicated situation. He just had to keep moving forward, keep walking, but at this point, he just didn't know how he was going to be able to do that.

Casting his gaze to the sky he whispered, "Help me…"

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Sorry for the massive delay between chapters and I really hope that people will continue to read this. Allen was a little bit dark in this chapter, hehe.


	44. Sixth Sense

Disclaimer- I do not own DGM nor any of the characters.

A/N - I would once again like to thank all those who submitted reviews to the last chapter: PeanutAngel, anime-lyric, skidney, Peculiar Top hat, 14th Noah, FalteredGAIT, LyssiBug, Mistical Kat, Allen's Lover, mysticwolf1896, Narutopokefan, Breeze, Arceus the Creator, Noah of Faith, SkyTheLugia, and XD! Each and every one of your reviews brought a smile to my face and for that I say thank you. *bows*

Chapter Forty-Four - Sixth Sense

The Millennium Earl was sitting in his favorite rocking chair in the parlor where he normally went to relax when he wasn't attending to the plans that concerned his scenario. The room was dimly lit and the large round man idly rocked back and forth, perpetual grin in place as he thought about the downfall of the Exorcists and the extinction of the pathetic human race. It would be such a glorious day when the fruits of his labor were finally seen and he reveled in this thought. That is, until he felt a rather familiar and yet at the same time unexpected feeling course through his veins.

The powers of a Noah.

They were faint but the Earl recognized them almost immediately, clenching his hands into fists as he gazed straight ahead as though unseeing. He had been loathe to believe what Road had told him about the Musician's brat but now there wasn't any way that he could deny it. He felt the stirring for himself this time; the boy had the powers of a Noah as well as the accursed Innocence. "Perhaps there's something that I can do with this boy…" he thought to himself as he realized the significance of the brat's birthright. True he was the son of a pair of traitors but maybe, just maybe, there could be a use for him in the scenario as well.

At any rate it was at least worth sending someone to look in on. Maybe this stirring of power was just a fluke or he could even be imagining things since his mind tended to dwell on the fallen member of their family quite frequently. The Earl wanted to know once and for all whether the son of the Musician actually possessed the powers of his father. If he did then he might prove useful. And, if he didn't, then it was back to the original plan.

The brat would die just like his parents.

With this thought in mind the Earl sent for one of the other members of his family. He would send someone to ascertain the truth of the boy before he himself went to the trouble of traveling to the location where he was hiding. They shouldn't be too difficult to find since the Earl had the ability to tell where the Noah were. Said sixth sense wasn't as strong where the brat was concerned, which was what led the Earl to doubt the validity of what he was sensing, but it was still there.

It was just too faint to notice unless he really focused in on it, which was why he hadn't noticed it before. Moments of complete peace were so rare that it simply hadn't struck him until just now, which the man had to admit irritated him to a small degree since it turned out that he could simply have honed in on the brat that he had spent the past three years searching for.

"There's nowhere for you to hide now~" the man purred, the already impossibly large grin growing even wider.

Reaching out from his spot in the rocking chair the large man grabbed the receiver on one of the many phones that were positioned throughout the room. Holding it to his ear he waited for someone to answer before giving them the location to which they were to travel. Then, once the phone call was completed, the Earl sat back in his chair, clasped his hands together, and continued to grin like mad.

Whatever happened this would indeed be an interesting diversion.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set beyond the horizon and Mana and Allen were preparing for the nightly performance, both dressed in full costume as they made their way toward the main tent where the performance was to be held. Allen was trailing along behind his father, a scowl on his face that looked rather odd owing to the painted on smile, but the child drew up suddenly as a chill seemed to go down his spine. His gray eyes widened slightly as the eleven year old gazed around swiftly, feeling as though someone were watching him. Allen felt incredibly uneasy and, reaching out, he grabbed Mana by the sleeve and gave it a slight tug. "Father…"

Feeling the tug on his sleeve Mana turned to gaze at the child who was trailing along behind him. He had heard something different in the little boy's voice but he couldn't figure out exactly what that something was. "What is it Allen?"

"Feels like someone's watchin' me," Allen said as he once again gazed around as though trying to locate the person who was giving him the creeps. Of course there were several people around but they weren't the ones that the brown haired boy was referring to, not that Mana knew this. The older clown arched one brow at these words. "There are lots of people around my boy so it only stands to reason that one of them would glance your way every now and then."

"That's not it," Allen maintained, tugging on his father's sleeve. "I think we should leave. I've got a really bad feeling right now." Actually he was beginning to feel somewhat sick to his stomach but he refrained from telling this particular part to his father. "Somethin' bad's about to happen… I know it is."

Now Mana knew what the something was that he was hearing in Allen's voice; it was fear. His child thought that someone was staring at him and was actually afraid that something was going to happen. Coming to a stop Mana turned so that he was facing Allen, wrapping one arm around the boy's thin shoulders in a comforting manner. Offering the boy a smile he spoke to Allen in reassuring voice, "It's alright Allen m'boy… nothing's going to happen."

Instead of being reassured by these words, Allen was oddly angered. "You don't know that!" the boy snapped, shrugging his shoulders so that Mana's arm fell from around them before abruptly whirling around and running off.

"Allen!" Mana called out as he watched the boy disappear around the corner of one of the tents. Shaking his head and sighing the clown gave chase, knowing that going after the upset child was more important than the performance right now. Shaking his head slightly he berated himself for allowing, or to be more precise, causing something like this to happen. "That was really great Mana… brilliant move." While he didn't really think that someone had been staring at Allen the fact remained that there was a real danger out there that the child had to be protected from. And Mana couldn't very well do that if he couldn't find the boy. "C'mon Allen, this isn't funny. I didn't mean to upset you."

There was no response from the boy, not that Mana had really expected to received one. That would have been hoping for too much and his luck simply wasn't that good.

* * *

"I don't know why he didn't believe me," Allen muttered to himself as he slowed his pace to a jog for a couple of paces before dropping down into a walk. The boy was irritated and he absently kicked at a rock that was in his path, a scowl on his face and his slightly narrowed gray eyes downcast. He was mad that his father hadn't believed what he was saying about something bad being about to happen but beyond that he was hurt. He had been telling the truth only to be brushed aside as though he had been telling a lie. "S'not like I lie to him or anything." On the contrary, Allen had always been painfully honest even as a very young child. Pausing in his grumbles he gazed around, once again getting the feeling that someone was watching him, shivering slightly as he turned in a small circle. He was away from the other members of the circus by this point, having fled to a small wooded area that bordered the circus grounds on one side, so the feeling should have gone away.

But it hadn't.

"Is someone out there?" Allen called out, somewhat hesitantly. He had mixed feelings about calling out; on the one hand he wanted to know if there actually was someone lurking nearby but on the other hand he was more than a little afraid of whoever it might be. Because he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. "If there is, c'mon out… this isn't funny anymore." Allen didn't really think that it was someone playing a joke on him but there was that small glimmer of hope that this was all some kind of joke.

Only the whistling of the wind answered the question that he had posed and Allen turned in another small circle, his gray eyes searching for any signs that he wasn't alone. He didn't feel alone but he couldn't seem to figure out where the person that he seemed to sense was hiding.

"Come out already!" This time Allen's words were screamed out, his slightly wider than normal gray eyes shifting about as still another shiver went down his spine. The wind picked up slightly, ruffling his already unruly brown hair, before a shadowy figure clad in black stepped from behind a rather large tree. Stepping from the shadows the figure was revealed to be a man appearing in his mid to late twenties, dressed in a suit and looking decidedly out of place. "Careful what you ask for…. You just might get it."

Allen instinctively took a step back as his stormy gray eyes landed upon the man, whom he'd never seen before. He looked ordinary enough but for some reason the child was scared of him. Clutching his left arm, which had suddenly began to ache for some reason, he took yet another step back. "Wh-what do you want?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the man that he viewed as a threat. He couldn't explain the feeling but it was there none the less.

As well as a melody that seemed to be playing in the very back of his mind.

The song seemed familiar to him but Allen couldn't place it no matter how hard he tried. That and the appearance of the strange man dressed in black were coupling together to completely confuse the child and put him on edge. Clenching his hands into fists Allen debated whether or not to make a run for it. The circus grounds weren't really that far off and he could probably outrun the man but there was a part of him that didn't want to make an attempt at escape.

There was a part of him that actually wanted to fight.

Allen's eyes shifted to the ground for a moment and, when they returned to the stranger, they had shifted from stormy gray to tawny gold. The music that was playing inside of his mind had increased in volume and a smile slowly spread across the face of the child. It was somewhat twisted and yet served to make the man whom he was facing laugh out loud.

"So it really is true," he said in an oddly purring voice, his gaze never leaving the face of the child. "You really are one of us~"

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. My inspiration has been reincarnated, so to speak, and now I'm off to write something else. Please be kind and leave a review on your way out… they make me very happy.


	45. And Everything Changes

Disclaimer- I do not own DGM nor any of the characters.

A/N- As always I would like to thank the people who reviewed last chapter; WhiteIndianLady1923, truegenuis13, skidney, Kuraun Kuraun, 14th Noah, Fan girl 666, Lyssibug, god of all, Narutopokefan, Pearl of the Orient Seas, Raine Haruto, Allen's Lover, Noah of Faith, RandomReviewer, dcelest, SailorNova007, and PeanutAngel! Each review made me smile and for that I thank each and every one of you!

Chapter Forty-Five - And Everything Changes…

A glint appeared in Allen's tawny golden eyes as he gazed at this strange man that he didn't know and yet was instinctively cautious around. There was a voice echoing in the back of his mind that was telling him that this man was a threat… a threat that must be eliminated at all costs. Normally such thoughts never would have entered into the mind of the eleven year old but at this point in time he wasn't one hundred percent himself. There was something stirring in the back of his mind that he couldn't explain nor could he suppress. It seemed to have taken hold with such ferocity that it seemed likely it would consume him.

"So you think to fight me do you young one?" the man in black said, the strange purring quality still contained within his voice as his unfaltering gaze remained focused on the brown haired youth who stood before him. The corners of his mouth twitched up into a smirk as he flexed his fingers, eliciting pops from several of the joints. This was going to be amusing… an interesting diversion to break the monotony that made up his life at the moment. The Earl had given explicit instructions; find the boy and determine whether he truly did possess the powers of a Noah and, if that was the case, bring him back alive. Alive being the key word in that statement. The Earl hadn't said anything about the kid having to be in good health, just alive.

And alive was such a broad term really.

Allen didn't say anything in response to these jeering words from the man that he didn't know, his golden eyes cold and calculating as he continued to stare ahead. Gripping his left arm he pulled it closer to himself as he fought to ignore the fierce pain that seemed to be enveloping the limb. He'd never felt pain of this magnitude before but, strangely enough, he found that he could push it to the back of his mind and forget about it. The music that echoed in the recesses of his mind seemed almost to block the nerves that were acting as pain receptors. So long as he didn't think about it, it wasn't there.

Of course the stranger could have told him what was causing him the pain, the Noah genes that he held within picking up on the Innocence and thoroughly repelled by it. Perhaps he would rid the boy of the appendage before taking him back to the Earl. That would calm some of his sadistic tendencies as well as rid the world of one of the cursed pieces of Innocence.

All in all a very good plan as far as he was concerned.

A clump of bushes that was located nearby rustled slightly as the duo stared at one another but neither Allen nor the unknown man paid any attention to this, their focus planted squarely on one another. They were too engrossed in the battle that was about to commence to even notice the fact that they were no longer alone and were in fact now being watched. A pair of dark eyes peered from the shrubbery, a cruel glint appearing within their depths at the same time that a smile spread across her face. "Oooh~ Aiden's so lucky… I wish that I could have another chance to play with him." Unfortunately Road wouldn't be able to stay around and watch this little test of strength since she was on a completely different mission.

While Aiden dealt with the child of the traitorous Musician, she was tasked with finding the Musician's brother. The Earl had reached the conclusion that he was the one who had taken in the brat after his parents had been killed and now he was seeking to get rid of every last person who had been in any way connected to the traitorous 14th Noah. A strange look appeared in Road's eyes as she thought back to Nicholas, who had been her favorite sibling up until he had betrayed them to be with that Exorcist whore, but she quickly forced away such thoughts. Now was not the time and she had more important things to be doing than dwelling on a past which could not be changed.

Getting to her feet she skipped off in search of Mana Walker, the Musician's brother. "I'm going to find you~" she sang out in a sing-songy fashion that still managed to have an underlying sadistic quality to it. Maybe she couldn't play with the Musician's brat but there was always the possibility that his brother would be just as much fun. That and she was bored and needed something to do before she absolutely died from sheer boredom.

Turning his head slightly to the side Aiden briefly shifted his gaze away from the boy who still had yet to make a move and as he did so he caught sight of Road skipping away. So the Earl had sent her along for this little mission as well had he? While the Noah was somewhat annoyed that he apparently hadn't been trusted to be able to take care of the situation on his own his features didn't show this fact. After all it didn't matter to him how many of the others showed up just so long as he got to partake of his share of the torture.

Because that was really all that mattered.

* * *

At the same time that this quote unquote standoff was taking place Mana was frantically searching for his lost child. He couldn't believe that he had been so blatantly stupid and was berating himself for having upset Allen the entire time that he was searching for the boy. "I can't believe that I was so stupid. I should have listened to him… I mean what harm would it have done? If he was wrong then it would have been no big deal but… what if he was right? What if someone really was watching him?" Mana couldn't believe that he'd just brushed Allen's fears to the side so carelessly, given everything that he knew about his brother and the world into which his nephew had been born.

Mana couldn't help but feel that he'd made one of the worst mistakes of his life.

"Allen!" he called out in an almost frantic voice as he scoured the circus grounds for any signs of the brown haired little boy. There were crowds of people milling about everywhere and this made things much more difficult for the clown. It was true that Allen was eleven but he was very small for his age and his lack of height would make it difficult to find him in the throngs of people that were here for the show. "Allen where are you? Please answer me! I'm sorry!"

All he wanted to do was find the child and give him a hug. He needed to know that Allen was safe, his spine tingling as he thought about the Akuma that had been pursuing them ever since that strange attack that the little boy didn't even remember. The red headed general had made a couple of appearances since their parting, seeming intent on checking up on them and doing very little of anything else. Aside from the handful of times that he had managed to stick Mana with the bills that he had wracked up.

"He said that danger was everywhere so why didn't I take Allen seriously?" That was the question that Mana couldn't answer, much to his chagrin. But as he searched for his brother's child, for the little boy that he had raised as his own since the age of three, he vowed that he would do a better job of listening to him in the future.

If only he were given the chance.

"ALLEN!"

* * *

Allen was too far away from the circus grounds to hear the shouts of his foster father, though in all likelihood his brain wouldn't have processed them even had he heard them. He now seemed completely consumed with blood lust and his tawny eyes narrowed slightly as he raised his right hand and took a step toward the man dressed in black. Music almost seemed to fill the air as the boy's golden eyes flashed, his left arm eliciting several jerky muscle spasms even as a strange energy seemed to swirl around him, causing the very ground upon which he and the dark haired man were standing to shake.

"You're going to suffer," the boy said in a dark voice that was very far away from his normal tone. Even though his words were often gruff, Allen's normal speaking voice had a soft edge to it that seemed to have vanished. If Mana were to hear him now it would likely send shivers down his spine.

"I think you have this entire scenario thought out backwards my little friend," Aiden purred, shifting his feet so that he didn't lose his balance as the very ground beneath him shook with the force of the boy's powers. It could not be denied that they were immense, though quite obviously untrained, which meant that this kid… this son of a pair of traitors… had the potential to be great. This also meant that this little battle promised to be a great deal of fun, which was the part that Aiden was most concerned with at the moment. "Maybe with a little training and practice you could possibly pose a threat to me but not right now. Now I'm going to have to give you a lesson on manners and respecting your elders."

"Like I would ever offer respect to the likes of you." Same sinister tone as before as the boy once again raised his right hand, causing the faint music that seemed to fill the air to increase in volume. It seemed almost as though he were conducting with this one arm and Aiden felt a sudden stab of pain as the strange music seized control of his mind. "You're worthy of nothing except my utter contempt."

In response to this Aiden threw his head back and screamed in pain, his hands going up to grip the sides of his head as he fought against the hold that this child seemed to have over him. No, that couldn't be right. This boy was untrained and didn't have full use of the powers that he had inherited… so then, how exactly was this happening? The Noah's mind fought to find an answer for this enigma even as he struggled to escape the music that seemed almost to be piercing his brain.

"_**You're doing very well… just a little more and he will be yours."**_

Allen blinked as he heard this voice that echoed through his mind, seeming to be in complete harmony with the music that also resided there. With the music that was always there and always had been, now that Allen thought back on his life. It seemed to him as though he had heard this voice before and it calmed him a degree and brought more stability to his powers.

"What's with that strange look on your face?" Aiden asked, finally managing to shake the hold of the boy's powers. To say that it was difficult would have been an understatement, since he wasn't overly adept at using his own powers either, and he know felt as though his brain had been struck repeatedly with a meat tenderizer. The expression that had appeared on the kid's face served to throw him even further off his guard and he felt decidedly nervous. This was supposed to have been an easy assignment but it was shaping up to be anything but.

"You're going to wish that you hadn't asked that question," Allen said, his purring tone nearly a match for the one that Aiden had used when speaking to him earlier.

* * *

Having thoroughly searched the circus grounds Mana was forced to conclude that Allen had ventured outside of the boundary. This presented a new set of problems and Mana stopped at the edge of the grounds, near one of the large tents, and ran a hand through his hair. Pulling out a handkerchief he wiped the thick makeup from his face revealing his true features even as he gazed around and attempted to figure out which path he should take. "Where did you go Allen?"

"He went to play in the forest~" a childlike voice chimed as Mana asked this question. "But that's not what you should be worried about right now."

Mana's gaze shifted to the small girl who had appeared as though out of nowhere, though presumably she had actually came out of the thick undergrowth that bordered the forest everywhere save for the small path that led into the small wooded area. She seemed harmless enough, just a little girl who appeared maybe a few years older than Allen, but for some reason Mana was uneasy. The girl had this look in her eyes that made him uncomfortable and this, coupled together with her words, served to set him even more on edge.

"Who are you?" the clown questioned in a serious tone of voice, managing to keep the fear at bay. It was more fear for Allen than for himself and he wanted to get this conversation over with as soon as possible so that he could continue with his search for the boy. "And how do you know Allen?" He paused at this point, his gaze remaining steadfastly focused on the unfamiliar girl. He was generally bad with names and faces so he wasn't really surprised by the fact that he couldn't place her from anywhere. "I don't think I've seen you around here anywhere?"

"Oh Allen and I go way back~" Road purred, her hands clasped behind her back as she continued to stare at the man. Taking in his features she could see the family resemblance between not just he and Allen but also he and the Musician. "And Nicholas as well…" She paused as she tossed out this little tidbit of information, enjoying the shocked expression that appeared on the man's face as she mentioned his long dead little brother. "You look a lot like him… but not as much as Allen does."

Mana's eyes narrowed at the mention of his brother. Far from happy to hear that she knew him he instinctively took a couple of steps back away from the girl. He knew that she was no ordinary child, by the sheer fact that she had known his brother. "Who are you?" he repeated, more forcefully this time.

"I am Road," she replied in the same sing-songy voice, a cruel smile gracing her lips. "And I'm in the family of Noah."

A gasp of shock escaped Mana's lips as she said this and now he knew why it was that he felt so ill at ease while in her presence. She was one of the group that his brother had been a part of… one of the people that Cross said his organization was fighting against. All in all she was danger incarnate and the man felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. And yet his fear still wasn't for himself but instead for the child that he was now desperate to find. "Where's Allen? If you did anything to him so help me I'll…"

"I told you before, Allen's playing in the forest." Road wasn't even remotely phased by this threat that the man hadn't been given the chance to finish, her arms still held casually behind her back. "And it's really not him that you should be concerned about… I'd worry more about myself if I were you. Pitiful subhuman, you're death is going to be so much fun~"

"Death?" Mana exclaimed, his eyes widening as he heard this. It sounded odd, coming from the mouth of a child, but he took the threat seriously. The clown knew that he would be a fool not to, given everything that he knew about the Noah.

"Oh yes," Road purred, eyes gleaming as they shift to the same tawny golden color that Mana had seen Allen's eyes take on. "Lord Millennium has decided that everyone connected to the Musician must die… except maybe for Allen. He might prove useful to us… just like his father was before he turned traitor."

These words, Road's choice to bring Allen into this, served to light a fire within Mana. His normally kind eyes seemed almost to flash as he took a couple of steps toward the Noah girl, muttering seemingly incoherent words under his breath as he did so. Road gazed at him in a curious fashion, tilting her head slightly to the side as she struggled to understand what he was saying, but in only a matter of moments she was made all too aware. Binds of energy seemed to wrap around her body, pulling her arms to her sides and restricting her movements. Road was caught off guard by this, not having known that the Musician's brother was versed in magic, but needless to say it didn't take her long to recover from the brief shock.

"Didn't expect that," she admitted even as she caused the binds that were wrapped around her to shatter in a burst of light. Her skin tone darkened, cross shaped marks etching themselves across her forehead as she assumed her true Noah form. "You may turn out to be even more fun that I first thought. I'm so excited."

Mana's face paled as his spell was rendered null and void so easily by the Noah. So this was the power that they possessed… the power that his own brother had held and he had never been aware. It was frightening in its intensity but Mana forced himself to focus on what he had to do. The odds seemed stacked against him but there was no way in hell that he was going to just lay down and die without a fight. He had promised to protect his brother's child and there was no way in the world that he would go back on his word.

Not where Allen was concerned.

"You may as well go and have your fun somewhere else," Mana growled as he prepared for another spell, hopefully one that would be more effective than the previous. It was obvious that the Noah were on a whole other skill level than the Akuma so adjustments to the way that he fought would have to be made. "Because I don't want anything to do with it."

"But that's what makes it fun~" Road retorted, holding up a hand and causing several brightly colored candles to appear around the man. "It wouldn't be very much of a game for me if you actually wanted to play." This said she pointed toward him with one finger, causing one of the candles to go flying in his direction, pointy end first.

Mana yelped as the candle came flying toward him, the tip practically glinting as it aimed for his flesh. Had his reaction time been any slower then it was likely that he would have been skewered but, as it was, he managed to erect a barrier around himself just in time to deflected the candle. Road pouted as she watched this, having been looking forward to watching the blood spurt from his body as the candle pierced his flesh, but after a minute she decided that this just made the game more fun. At least it presented a modicum of difficulty.

"Go ahead and fight," Road exclaimed even as she prepared to launch even more candles in the man's direction. "It's more fun that way!" Having said this Road sent several of her candles flying toward him with a simple flick of her wrist. The first of the projectiles pierced through the barrier that Mana had summoned in his defense while two of the others embedded themselves in the clowns flesh. Mana screamed in pain as one candle pierced his leg and the other his shoulder, both on his left side. Bright spots of crimson appeared on his already brightly colored clown costume as the man staggered back, trying desperately to remain in a standing position.

The smile that had already been on Road's face grew even wider as she watched the blood spurt from the wounds as the Musician's brother pulled the candles from his shoulder and leg. This was better than even she had hoped for and she licked her lips as she prepared for another attack. She was going to make this man suffer, truly suffer, before she ended his pitiful existence. Laughing out loud she once again sent a volley of candles toward him, these striking him in both shoulders and pinning him to a large support pole that was being used to hold up one of the tents. The sounds of screams could be heard echoing behind her but Road's focus was squarely on her foe as she sauntered toward him, eyes shining maliciously.

"Why…are you doing this?" Mana asked, coughing slightly and tasting the sickening metallic taste of blood in his mouth.

"Because it's fun~" Road purred as she came to a stop in front of him.

Mana opened his mouth to respond to this claim, which she seemed to make repeatedly, but was halted as a large round man with a grin wider than should be humanly possible appeared once again seemingly out of nowhere. Despite the grin there was something decidedly sinister about this man and Mana felt his blood run cold at the sight. "And because you're connected with the traitorous 14th… That alone is enough to guarantee your death."

Mana didn't even understand what Nicholas had done to anger these people so much but they all seemed to be holding a grudge against him. "Nicholas is dead…" he choked out, once again tasting blood. "And…and all I want to do is take care of Allen. Please."

"The boy is going to serve his purpose as well," the Earl purred as he gazed at this man, practically seeing the image of the Musician reflected in his features. Of course this was more trick of the mind than anything else. Mana did resemble his brother but not to that degree. "And the Musician will not truly be gone until all trace of him is wiped from this earth…"

Seeming to gain a burst of renewed energy Mana's lips moved wordlessly as he mouthed an incantation, sending the candles flying from his body with enough force to actually shake the tent that they were now in. Getting shakily to his feet he gazed at the Earl with flashing eyes. He wasn't going to die like this… just lying there and accepting it.

He was going to fight.

A/N - End of another chapter. Bet you were expecting to see Allen fight, hehe. Sorry if I disappointed and I'm also sorry for the cliffhanger but this chapter ended up being longer than I anticipated. I'll try to be quick with an update, to make up for it. Once again hope you enjoyed the chapter and, til next time, farewell.


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